Strasburg Police Department - briefing video including body-worn camera footage and hotel surveillance footage from the December 17, 2023 incident where Officer George Rathore shot and killed Melissa Tompkins.
Strasburg PD posted the video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1502542157348173
Chesterfield County Police body-worn camera footage showing Officer Painter shooting Charlie Byers.
Narrative from federal court complaint: "Officer Painter and another CCPD officer arrived at the scene in different vehicles. The first officer pulled up and immediately drew her gun and pointed it at Charlie. Officer Painter pulled in front of Charlie and immediately pulled his gun on Charlie, which seemed to startle him. Charlie immediately began walking away from the two CCPD officers, who had their guns drawn on him and were yelling at him to put down the hatchet. Throughout the remainder of the interaction, Charlie walked backwards away from the two CCPD officers, but the officers continued to pursue him yelling at him to drop the hatchet. At the encouragement of Officer Painter, the first officer shot a taser at Charlie but apparently missed him. Just a few seconds later, Officer Painter began shooting Charlie with his 9mm handgun. At the time that the first bullet was fired, Charlie was at least 25 feet away from Officer Painter and Charlie’s head was turned away from Officer Painter, who continued shooting Charlie. Charlie was not a threat to Officer Painter or anyone else, immediate or otherwise, when Officer Painter began shooting at Charlie. After the first three shots Charlie turned and tried to get away from Officer Painter who continued shooting Charlie in his back. Ultimately, Officer Painter shot at Charlie seven (7) times, hitting him five (5) times. The final 3 or 4 shots were in Charlie’s back, which shots were fatal. While Charlie lay on the ground dying and gasping for his last breaths, the two CCPD officers then aggressively handcuffed Charlie."
The formerly-decertified, now-reinstated Polly F. Griffin currently works at the Petersburg Police Department.
Griffin was fired from the VCU Police Department, indicted by the City of Richmond, and decertified by the DCJS after she attacked a civilian at a hospital.
"You're lucky I don't kill you," Griffin reportedly said to the victim of her unprovoked attack, while a superior officer watching told her up to four times to "Let up," DCJS documents state.
Upon her indictment for assault and following her termination from VCU Police citing "unnecessary/excessive force," a deal was made in court to allow for dismissal of Griffin's criminal charges upon completion of community service. While VCU Police Chief Venuti had promptly requested Griffin's certification be revoked, Griffin promptly requested an appeal before the DCJS Executive Board Committee, which, despite extensive documentation and testimony of the incident, voted to overturn her decertification and free her to work as a law enforcement officer in Virginia.
Reinstated, free of charges, and authorized to patrol again, Griffin applied for and was granted a job with the Petersburg Police, according to rosters obtained by Open69Oversight VA in fall 2023.
The attached document is the DCJS case file for Griffin's appeal for reinstatement. It contains correspondence, a letter of termination, emails, notices, and several reports of the events on the day of the assault.
If you have information about Polly F. Griffin, contact info@openoversightva.org.