Timothy Johnson Killing: Fairfax, Loudoun @NAACP Call on Steve Descano and Chief Davis to Act
TIMOTHY JOHNSON WAS SHOT TO DEATH BY FAIRFAX POLICE ON FEB. 22. On Feb. 22, 2023, Timothy Johnson, 37, allegedly shoplifted a pair of sunglasses from Tysons Corner Mall. A chase ensued after Fairfax Police responded to a reported theft. What resulted next was Johnson being killed after being shot by a Fairfax Police Officer. Johnson was unarmed.
On Monday, April 17, a grand jury declined to indict the officer who shot Johnson.
Over the last 24 hours two major NAACP chapters in Virginia, Fairfax and Loudoun, have released statements on the killing of Timothy Johnson (see below).
“Loss prevention officers at the mall notified Fairfax County police about a person stealing sunglasses from Nordstrom. The loss prevention officers led police to Johnson, who fled, Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis said, as reported by NBC News on March 23.
Fairfax Police Officer James Sadler and Fairfax Police Sgt. Wesley Shifflett reportedly chased Johnson out of the mall and into a wooded area. Reportedly, one of the officers was in plainclothes but it us unclear which officer.
A spokesperson for Fairfax Police informed media on March 23 that Sgt. Shifflett fired the fatal shot that killed Johnson. It was reported in late March that Sgt. Shifflett was given an "administrative separation" for "failure to live up to our expectation." The news of Shifflett’s firing coincided with the public release of body worn camera video from the night Johnson was shot to death.
Officer Sadler is on modified restrictive duty. He has been on the force for eight years. Shifflett had been on the force for seven years.
The Fairfax County, Virginia, police officer who shot and killed Timothy Johnson during an alleged shoplifting incident last month was fired, the police chief said Thursday as bodycam video showing the fatal encounter was released.
On April 22, the Fairfax NAACP released the following statement:
This morning, The Loudoun NAACP released the following statement on the Feb. 22, 2023 shooting death of Timothy Johnson by Fairfax Police:
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