Ex-Virginia Officer Acquitted of Manslaughter, Convicted on Firearm Charge

The jury found former officer Wesley Shifflett guilty of reckless handling of a firearm in the shooting of an unarmed shoplifting suspect.

Wesley Shifflett, a former Fairfax County police sergeant, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Timothy McCree Johnson.
The jury convicted Shifflett of reckless handling of a firearm, a felony that carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
Prosecutors argued that Shifflett acted recklessly during the foot chase and shooting outside Tysons Corner Center in February 2023.
Shifflett claimed he acted in self-defense, believing Johnson was reaching for a weapon, although Johnson was unarmed.
The trial faced multiple delays, and the case was brought to a special grand jury after an initial grand jury declined to indict Shifflett.