Justice Dept. to Turn Over Evidence in Park Police Killing of Motorist

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department reversed policy this month to allow FBI agents to testify in the involuntary manslaughter case against two U.S. Park Police officers accused of killing a motorist in Fairfax County, Va.

The Trump administration declined to pursue charges against the officers. They were accused of shooting Bijan Ghaisar in a residential neighborhood after a chase on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in 2017.

They said he was trying to run them over in his SUV. A police patrol car’s camera indicated Ghaisar, 25, was trying to slowly pull away from them after a chase.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was responding to a request from the Virginia attorney general when he authorized the Justice Department last week to turn over evidence to Fairfax County prosecutors.

“We will share with the Commonwealth all appropriate information and evidence,” Garland’s letter to the Virginia attorney general said.

He gave no indication federal prosecutors would separately or jointly participate in bringing criminal charges against Park Police officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard.

A 2019 Justice Department report said there was no evidence the two officers “willfully” violated any federal criminal civil rights statute when they shot Ghaisar nine times.

“As this requirement has been interpreted by the courts, evidence that an officer acted out of fear, mistake, panic, misperception, negligence or even poor judgment cannot establish the high level of intent required to prove such a violation,” a Justice Department press release said.

Ghaisar’s family is suing the U.S. Park Police for wrongful death.

For more information, contact The Legal Forum (www.legal-forum.net) at email: [email protected] or phone: 202-479-7240.