Miyares is bringing an end to the criminal case of the two U.S. Park Police officers who were involved in the fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar.
The incident has been highly politicized since the event first happened. According to the Associated Press, Miyares’ decision ends a nearly five-year legal saga in which Ghaisar’s family, police reform advocates, and some members of Congress sought to see officers Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya face criminal charges for shooting Ghaisar after a stop-and-go chase on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in November 2017.
The official report, supported by video evidence provided by the Fairfax County Police Department, shows that Officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard were involved in a car chase with Ghaisar, where he stopped and fled the scene two times before attempting to flee a third time, at which point the fatal shooting occurred. The FBI investigated the shooting for two years, but federal prosecutors ultimately opted against filing charges.
In an interview with 7News, Miyares sent a statement explaining why he and his team of experts decided to dismiss the case, saying he would not prosecute two officers who were “doing what they were trained to do under tremendously difficult circumstances.”:
“The events of November 17, 2017, were undoubtedly tragic. I am saddened by what happened and the pain it has caused. But persecuting the police was the wrong response. We will not make our Commonwealth safer by vilifying the hard-working men and women who put on the uniform and shield every day and protect our families, homes, and businesses. Prosecutors need to prosecute criminals, not cops doing what they were trained to do.”
Miyares’ decision ends the criminal prosecution, but Ghaisar’s family has filed a civil suit that has been on hold while a criminal case was being pursued.