Incidents

Sheriff Scott Jenkins indicted on federal bribery charges

Juette Renalds shot and killed Daniel Scott Meadows.

On May 11, 2023, at 4:06 p.m., 38-year-old Brandon Lemagne passed a license plate reader which alerted officers to a stolen U-Haul in the area. An officer saw the U-Haul in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway, in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. Lemagne pulled the U-Haul into the gas station parking lot, exited the vehicle then walked away. The officer can be seen on surveillance footage speaking with Lemagne then the two walk towards the officer’s cruiser. The officer told Lemagne he was going to be detained for driving the stolen U-Haul. Lemagne then fought the officer. He grabbed the officer’s firearm and tried to remove it from the holster. Two other officers arrived on scene. One officer discharged his firearm as Lemagne remained on top of the officer inside the cruiser. A second officer arrived on scene and attempted to remove Lemagne off the officer. He was able to pull Lemagne off the officer and out of the cruiser. The officer then discharged his firearm. Lemagne was struck in the upper body. He was declared deceased at the scene.

A legal filing submitted to the Virginia Court of Appeals named Arlington County Chief of Police M. Jay Farr and police officers Stephen Clark, Ryan Reese, Christopher McClaugherty, Alexander Varaklis, Jenna Bartholomew, and unidentified "John Does."

The memorandum opinion issued April 18, 2023 by the Virginia Court of Appeals explains:

"The complaint alleged that appellees were jointly and severally liable for gross negligence (Count I), willful, wanton, and reckless negligence (Count II), battery (Count III), and separately that Chief Farr was liable for grossly negligent supervision of the police operation carried out by his officers (Count IV)."

Trooper Dylan Bodek was charged with committing a crime against children in Santa Rosa County, Florida.

The Fairfax County Police Department publicly announced Officer Wesley Shifflett was to be fired after body camera footage of Shifflett killing of Timothy McCree Johnson was released on Thursday, March 23, 2023. The termination was made official on April 14, 2023.

Trooper Parsons was charged with assault on a family member and three counts of assault on a law-enforcement officer.

Officer Zachary Hengle assisted two security guards who shoved counter protesters at a Students for Life event at the VCU Commons

Trooper Bare was arrested on charges of public intoxication, resisting arrest and assault on a law-enforcement officer. He resigned from the department and pleaded guilty to some charges.

"The deputies are accused of collectively killing Irvo N. Otieno, 28, by essentially smothering the 6-foot 2-inch, 270-pound man as they attempted to restrain him during the admission process at Central State Hospital."

This entry serves to consolidate records on officers who have gained new employment recently (at either a different department or once again at an old department) after resigning or being dismissed amid a controversial incident, lawsuit, or highly public incident of misconduct while in their previous role.

"On February 22, 2023, a 37-year-old unarmed Black man, Timothy McCree Johnson, was shot and killed by two Fairfax County police officers (Shifflett and Sadler). In FCPD public statements, officers justified killing Timothy Johnson by alleging that Johnson had stolen sunglasses from a Tysons Corner department store. Mr. Johnson was chased through a parking garage, a parking lot, and into a wooded area where he was killed by a bullet wound to the chest."

Both officers shot Johnson, hitting him in the chest. He died. Johnson was a 37-year-old Black man. The public was allowed to view body camera footage of Johnson's killing.

A FOIA request by Josh Stanfield returned over a thousand pages of correspondence pertaining to Latoya Benton, the mother of Xzavier Hill, who is currently suing Benjamin Bone and Seth Layton, her son's killers, in court.

The emails show officers, including Layton's father (Fredericksburg Chief of Police Brian Layton), following Benton's posts on social media.

Twenty-five-year-old Ryheam Damon Brown was shot and killed by a Lynchburg Police officer off 17th Street on the night of February 3, 2023. He was transported to the hospital, where he died.

Craig Byl, 48, was shot and killed by Virginia Beach Police inside his home behind the front door while up to 61 police officers responded to a call (four officers fired their guns) while Byl claimed he wanted to hurt himself.