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Fairfax grand jury declines to indict officer who killed man near Tysons

A grand jury declined to issue an indictment for manslaughter against Wesley Shifflett, who shot a suspected shoplifter while on duty in February, prosecutors said

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April 17, 2023 at 3:24 p.m. EDT
Melissa Johnson, mother of Timothy McCree Johnson, speaks at a vigil in front of the Fairfax County Government Center. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
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A Fairfax County grand jury on Monday declined to indict a Fairfax police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man suspected of shoplifting from Tysons Corner Center, Fairfax prosecutors said.

Caleb Kershner, a lawyer for Sgt. Wesley Shifflett, said prosecutors had sought an indictment for manslaughter over the shooting of Timothy McCree Johnson, but told him the panel would not issue a “true bill.” A grand jury rejecting a proposed indictment from prosecutors is rare.