US EditionFormer Virginia Gov. Youngkin pardoned ex-police sergeant in fatal 2023 shooting of unarmed man
Gov. Youngkin based the pardon on a police report deeming the shooting objectively reasonable amid ongoing debate over law enforcement's use of deadly force.
- The Jan. 15 pardon by Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin absolves Wesley Shifflett for the Feb. 22, 2023 Fairfax shooting that killed Timothy McCree Johnson.
- Governor Youngkin cited a department report that concluded Shifflett believed Johnson posed a significant threat and that his actions were objectively reasonable, adding his conduct was lawful and consistent with department policy amid a national debate over law enforcement protections.
- Body‑camera footage shown at trial captured a chase from Tysons Corner Center parking deck into woods and Shifflett firing two shots about two seconds after ordering compliance; no weapon was found.
- Less than a year earlier Youngkin had thrown out Shifflett's three‑year prison sentence, a move that Melissa Johnson, mother of Timothy McCree Johnson, publicly rebuked last year.
- Days before his term ended, Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, pardoned Shifflett amid a national debate over legal protections for law enforcement and Fairfax County prosecutors and special grand jury review, with coverage by Associated Press and FOX 5 DC.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Associated Press News
Former Virginia Gov. Youngkin pardoned ex-police sergeant in fatal 2023 shooting of unarmed man
Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has pardoned a former police sergeant who shot and killed an unarmed man accused of stealing sunglasses.
Youngkin pardoned ex-police sergeant in fatal 2023 shooting of unarmed man
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 newly released report, former Sgt. Wesley Shifflett received an absolute pardon on Jan. 15 from Youngkin. The pardon comes amid a nationwide debate over legal protections for law enforcement personnel, and when use of fo…
Youngkin pardons ex-Fairfax officer in fatal shooting of shoplifting suspect
Former Virginia Governor 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 days before his term ended, report says.
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