2nd grand jury indicts officer for involuntary manslaughter in Virginia mall shooting

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

McLEAN, Va. (AP) — A special grand jury in Virginia has indicted a former police officer for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed shoplifting suspect outside a shopping mall earlier this year. Wesley Shifflett was a Fairfax County police officer at the time of the shooting in February. He was also charged with reckless discharge of a weapon. Timothy McCree Johnson was shot and killed outside Tysons Corner Center after Shifflett and another officer chased him on a report of stolen sunglasses. Both officers fired at Shifflett, but police say Shifflett fired the fatal shot. A grand jury initially declined to indict Shifflett, but Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano initiated a new grand jury proceeding that returned indictments Thursday.