Days before his term ended, Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin pardoned a former Fairfax County police officer who was convicted in a fatal shooting of an unarmed man accused of stealing sunglasses at a mall.
According to a , former Sgt. Wesley Shifflett received an absolute pardon on Jan. 15 from Youngkin. The pardon comes amid a nationwide debate over legal protections for and when , including deadly force, is justified.
Less than a year ago, Youngkin granted Shifflett clemency in the case, throwing out his .
鈥淭he deadly force used by Sgt. Wesley Gonzalez Shifflett on February 22, 2023, was both lawful and consistent with the department鈥檚 policy and training,鈥� Youngkin wrote in his pardon.
Shifflett was convicted in 2024 of reckless firearm use in the killing of Timothy McCree Johnson in Northern Virginia, though he was acquitted of a manslaughter charge. The former sergeant chased Johnson out of the mall’s parking deck and into a densely wooded area.
The played during his trial showed Shifflett yelling 鈥淕et on the ground,鈥� and then firing two shots at Johnson two seconds later. After the shots were fired, Shifflett immediately shouted, 鈥淪top reaching,鈥� and told other officers that he saw Johnson putting his hand in his waistband. During the trial, Shifflett testified that his 鈥渕otor functions were operating more quickly than I could verbalize.鈥�
Soon after, Johnson can be heard saying in body camera videos, 鈥淚鈥檓 not reaching for nothing. I don鈥檛 have nothing.鈥�
Youngkin based his pardon on a in April, concluding that Shifflett’s actions were objectively reasonable because he thought Johnson had 鈥減osed a significant threat of death or serious injury to him when he used deadly force.鈥�
Johnson’s mother, Melissa, rebuffed Youngkin’s involvement in the case last year, when he first curtailed Shifflett’s sentence.
鈥淲hy now do we find it necessary to vacate or not consider the jury鈥檚 verdict, and to think that this honorable and fair judge did not sentence within the guidelines that he was afforded to?鈥� she asked at the time.
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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse 草莓传媒 Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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