McLEAN, Va. — An investigation conducted by a federal inspector general has cleared two U.S. Park Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a Virginia man following a pursuit seven years ago. A report released on Tuesday by the inspector general within the Department of the Interior determined that the actions of officers Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya were within policy standards when they shot Bijan Ghaisar, a 25-year-old resident of McLean, back in November 2017 after a chase on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. According to the report, the officers were justified in pursuing Ghaisar after receiving information about him leaving the scene of an accident involving his SUV being struck from behind.
The report additionally asserted that the shooting adhered to police protocol, as the officers had reasonable grounds to believe that Amaya’s safety was at risk. This conclusion was drawn from the incident where Amaya had positioned himself in front of Ghaisar’s halted vehicle, which then began moving forward. The only noted deviation from policy involved one of the officers striking a window on Ghaisar’s SUV with his firearm.
Ghaisar’s death was embroiled in a lengthy legal battle, although neither officer faced criminal charges throughout the proceedings. However, Ghaisar’s family secured a $5 million settlement from the government in a wrongful death civil lawsuit last year.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Kelly Ghaisar, the victim’s mother, rejected the findings of the inspector general’s report. She expressed that the officers should not have chased her son and claimed that they failed to coordinate appropriately with their superiors despite recognizing that Ghaisar appeared distressed. “They pulled Bijan over, drew their weapons, banged on his window, and kicked his tire. They then pursued him and shot him multiple times,” she stated.
After a two-year investigation by the FBI, federal authorities decided not to prosecute the officers. This prompted Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano to proceed with manslaughter charges against them in state court, igniting a jurisdictional conflict between state and federal officials regarding the prosecution.
In October 2021, a federal judge dismissed the manslaughter charges initiated by Descano’s office, ruling that the officers qualified for immunity and acted appropriately based on the given circumstances. The Ghaisar family contended that the officers breached their own procedures by engaging in a chase against an unarmed individual when the shooting occurred.
Dashcam footage from the incident captures the pursuit, showing Ghaisar’s vehicle stopping twice before the officers approached with their weapons drawn, leading him to drive away both times. During the third and final stop, as the officers again approached with guns raised, Amaya stood in front of the driver’s door. When Ghaisar’s vehicle began to move, Amaya discharged his weapon, followed by multiple shots fired by both officers as the vehicle continued moving.
