Incidents

Kenneth Terry, Virginia State Trooper, was charged with the Class 1 Misdemeanor of 18.2-152.5 Computer Invasion of Privacy. Case was heard in the Culpeper General District Court. The case disposition was Dismissed but with Supervised Probation for 1 Year.

Fairfax County police officers were captured in a viral video pointing guns at unarmed teenagers outside an IHOP near Falls Church, Fairfax County.

Trooper Edward George shot and killed 26-year-old Aaron Lynch (or Jasper Aaron Lynch), a trans man, who was experiencing a mental health crisis in his own home. The shooting and its particularities (see links below) was widely considered a deep injustice and egregious act by law enforcement.

"'The officers attempted to de-escalate the situation with verbal commands inside the foyer of the home,” the FCPD said. “Lynch [allegedly] threw the mask at an officer and [allegedly] began to swing the bottle in a striking motion. Two officers attempted to utilize their Electronic Control Weapons. Lynch ran toward officers while swinging the bottle. One officer discharged his firearm, striking Lynch four times.'" (FFX Now, 07/2022)

Two FCPD officers shot and killed 37-year-old Christian Parker at Springfield Town Mall.

Newport News Police officers tased, punched, and dragged Lawrence Fenner out of his car in a violent attack, for which he stated in late 2022 that he soon plans to sue. Three officers were involved.

Oliver Holley was accused of assaulting Officer Onoratti, but body camera footage seems to indicate it was actually the other way around.

"A. The City of Richmond Police Department (“RPD”) agrees to memorialize a First Amendment policy in a General Order and will seek input from Plaintiffs, through counsel, with the ultimate policy being approved through RPD’s normal chain of command, and implement training once approved.

B. RPD will review its General Orders to determine which, if any, may be published on its website, in a fashion similar to Fairfax County, Virginia’s police department.

C. RPD will provide a status update to Plaintiffs’ counsel ninety (90) days from the date of this execution of this Release and Settlement Agreement, and on a continuing basis thereafter until all policies have been reviewed."

A complaint filed in Virginia Eastern District Court states: "On the 27th day of April Deputy James Merritte III told me to suck his [PROFANITY] in front of the hold unit and when on to say that he would suck mines too and if I needed anything for him to call me at [PHONE NUMBER]..."

The case, "Reed v Richmond City Justice Center" (Case No. 1:22-cv-00488-AJT-JFA) was filed by Troy Lamonte Reed on May 4, 2022 while incarcerated at Richmond City Justice Center.

Internal Affairs data shows that beginning on April 17, 2022, Danich was subject to investigation for "untruthfulness and violation of department policy." The investigation continued for nearly three weeks until on May 5, 2022, Sergeant Meeks concluded the inquiry. In a rare occurrence, WPD deemed the complaint against Danich to be "founded in part."

A court complaint against Richmond Police Officer Ryan J. Novak and several unnamed John Does alleges unlawful search and seizure. The complaint was filed in Virginia Eastern District Court by Bobby Boomer on October 11, 2023. It was assigned the case number 3:23cv650.

Warren County deputies pulled over 77-year-old Ralph Ennis on the morning of April 2, 2022 for "driving erratically and speeding". Body cam footage shows them slamming a confused Ennis into the back of his truck, and then tackling him.

NBC4 reports "Medics took Ennis to a hospital. Ennis’ wife Linda Ennis said doctors told her he had a brain bleed." He died 9 days later, on April 15.

"Linda Ennis said her late husband had recently begun struggling with dementia and was the subject of a Silver Alert in mid-March."

In April 2024, the deputies Zachary Fadely and Tyler Poe were charged with felony homicide.

Dantron Harris died in the custody of Sheriff Antoinette Irving at Richmond City Justice Center on March 28, 2022.

"On February 15, 2022, Fairfax County Police Department (hereinafter “FCPD”) Police Officer First Class #1 (hereinafter “PFC#1”) and Officer #1 (hereinafter OFC#1) responded to a call to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications (hereinafter “DPSC”) reporting a “suspicious vehicle/person” on Fitt Court in Lorton, Virginia.

PFC#1 arrived at 8:12 a.m. and OFC#1 arrived at 8:15 a.m. Both officers were accompanied by FCPD recruits getting ready to begin their initial training to become officers at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Training Academy. The officers located the vehicle—a passenger van—and noticed that it had very dark tinted windows and curtains inside the vehicle which separated the driver and passenger compartments. They knocked loudly on the van and announced themselves as FCPD officers. They received no response.

PFC#1 and OFC#1 determined that the license plates affixed to the van had been reported stolen. Based on this information, and suspecting that the van itself was also stolen, they requested a tow truck to respond to the location. While waiting for the tow truck to arrive, the officers opened the unlocked rear hatch and PFC#1 announced “Police” five more times. He also advised anyone inside to make themselves known, but still got no response from anyone inside the vehicle. The officers did find a Virginia license plate inside of the van. The Virginia license plate matched the vehicle identification number of the van. They then contacted the registered owner of the van to determine who may have been driving it. While PFC#1 spoke to the registered owner of the van, the tow truck driver arrived and opened the driver’s door.

OFC#1 pushed a button inside the van to open the rear sliding doors; and, as the driver’s side rear sliding door opened, she saw a man holding what she believed to be a carbine-type rifle.

The individual (later identified as bearing the initials—and hereinafter identified as— “MV”) appeared to be trying to get out of the van while holding the weapon. OFC#1 immediately yelled to PFC#1, “he’s got a gun,” and got herself and the tow truck driver away from the van and in front of the tow truck to use for cover. Upon hearing the warning from OFC#1, PFC#1 got out of his patrol cruiser—inside of which he had been talking on the phone to the van’s owner—and provided multiple commands to MV while PFC#1 retreated to the rear of his cruiser. The commands included, “Hey, do not move!” and “don’t move!” MV did not comply. Rather, he began to raise the rifle in an apparent attempt to fire it at OFC#1, the tow truck driver, PFC#1, or the two recruits who were on the scene.

PFC#1 fired three shots from his handgun at MV. After being struck, MV dropped the rifle and fell to the ground. PFC#1 and OFC#1 began to render aid to MV as soon as they got him from within reaching distance of his rifle. MV survived the gunshots and was transported to a hospital for treatment. He was released from the hospital two days later and transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center."

----(IPA-22-02: Public Report by the Fairfax County Independent Police Auditor)

According to a court complaint, Officers Mellinger, Lawson, Bullock, and Moore verbally abused Jermaine M. Capel while he was in clear medical crisis — then, continuing to abuse him, the officers forced him to walk a mile in handcuffs for apparently no reason.

Robert Jablonski, age 50, was shot by Fairfax County Police. He survived.

A male Hampton Police officer shot a 31-year-old unarmed Black man.

(The victim did not initiate their encounter nor attempt to escalate prior to being shot by the police. In a statement released by police, the officer said he shot the man in "defense" of a female Sergeant present. According to her and the male officer, she had just been "hit" in the head with a baseball bat that the man had been holding while she initiated and pursued an "encounter" with him, which the male officer witnessed; the details of which are not publicly known.)

The male officer fired five shots at the 31-year-old Black man, who was hit by three of the bullets. He was taken to the hospital. He survived.

On its website. Hampton Police issued a one-paragraph statement with the police account of the shooting. The officer who committed the shooting was not named.

A 2022 lawsuit was filed alleging unnamed VCU Police officers assaulted and pepper sprayed a man while he stood outside the hospital waiting for his ride.

Longtime VCU Police officer Polly F. Griffin was arrested, charged, indicted, and subsequently decertified as a police officer after assaulting an individual while on duty and in uniform. Griffin appealed her decertification status to the CJSB Executive Committee; her certification was reinstated on November 17, 2022 without the public taking much notice.