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.
Police responding to a reported theft shot and killed Johnson, 37, of Washington, D.C., at Tysons Corner Center mall on Feb. 22.
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, Chief Kevin Davis has said.
Officer James Sadler and Sgt. Wesley Shifflett chased Johnson out of the mall and into a small wooded area about a quarter-mile away, Davis said. One of the officers was in plainclothes.
The video shows an officer yelling for Johnson to "stop reaching" and "get on the ground." Shots can be heard in the video.
Davis has said that "something happened" during the chase that prompted both officers to fire their weapons. One officer fired two shots, and the other fired once. Davis said Thursday authorities are still investigating why the officers fired and declined to comment on whether Johnson was actually reaching for anything when he was shot.
Johnson was struck once in the chest and pronounced dead at a hospital. Two pairs of sunglasses were recovered from the scene, Davis said.
A police spokesperson said Shifflett fired the fatal shot. Davis said he was served with an "administrative separation" for "failure to live up to our expectation."
Sadler is on modified restrictive duty.
Johnson's family and their attorney, Carl Crews, viewed the video Wednesday night. Crews called the death "an execution."
"It doesn’t show the officer faced any danger, imminent or otherwise," he said at a news conference. "Justice delayed is justice denied. This officer should not have his freedom at this point."
Sadler has been with the police department for eight years and Shifflett for seven. Criminal and administrative investigations continue.
