Fairfax Co., Geer family reach settlement in wrongful death suit

Years after Fairfax County police officers shot and killed John Geer at his home, the department has new guidelines for handling barricade situations. (Courtesy NBC Washington)

WASHINGTON — The family members of a Springfield man who was shot and killed in the doorway to his home by a Fairfax County police officer are calling for that officer to be criminally charged.

Fairfax County and the family of John Geer announced Tuesday that they had reached a $2.95 million settlement to end the family’s wrongful death suit almost two years after Geer was killed at his home. Geer’s longtime partner Maura Harrington brought the suit, which will benefit Geer’s two teenage daughters.

But Geer’s father, Don Geer, tells WTOP that the settlement is just the first step in seeking justice for his son. He wants the officer, Adam Torres, prosecuted.

“Torres, the shooter, is still on the payroll. There’s been no charges made,” Geer says. “There’s no question in anybody’s mind that he’s guilty of an unlawful shooting.”

The family waited 17 months before they even knew the name of the officer who shot John Geer, his father says.

In December, a judge ordered the county to release a host of investigative documents and information, including the names of the officers involved, as part of the family’s fight to find out basic details about what happened that day. Torres’ name wasn’t released until January.

Police were called to Geer’s home for a report of a domestic dispute on Aug. 29, 2013. Officers spoke with Geer in his doorway for about 30 minutes before the shooting. Police have said that he refused to remain outside, “displayed” one of the several guns he kept in the house and made threats toward officers. Witnesses have said that Geer was unarmed and that his hands were raised.

“It’s taken this long to get anything done. It’s been very trying and you want to get it over with,” Don Geer says of the decision to settle.

A statement from the family’s lawyers says the family opted to settle rather than face years of litigation. But they don’t consider the matter resolved.

‘While this chapter of the struggle for justice for John Geer ends, we hope that the next chapter will begin shortly,” the statement reads. “Officer Torres should be charged and tried for shooting John. With the facts now made public by Fairfax County, there is no longer any reason for further hesitation or delay in bringing this matter before a grand jury and then trial.”

The statement also says the family takes comfort that Geer’s death has highlighted the county’s use of force policies. And they hope the county will adopt policies that require an internal investigation to begin immediately following a police shooting and that details of what happened are shared with the victim’s family and the public.

The U.S. Department of Justice is now investigating the shooting. Fairfax County prosecutors turned the case over to federal investigators after the county’s attorney, a separate office, refused to provide internal affairs files on Torres.

The county attorney is set to retire next year — a decision prompted in part by his and his office’s handling of the Geer case. Public backlash over the way the case has been handled has also led to the creation of a commission to review the county’s police protocols.

Fairfax County’s self-insured retention from the insurance fund covers the first $1 million of the settlement. Excess insurance covers the remaining balance, according to a release from Fairfax County.

Michael Lieberman, attorney for the Geer family, told The Associated Press he believes the settlement is the largest in Virginia history in connection with a police shooting. The settlement contains no admission of liability on the county’s part.

WTOP’s Dick Uliano and Amanda Iacone contributed to this report.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

© 2015 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.

  • Joseph Monroe Sr.

    It is about time. Also, has anybody been charged for shooting Geer?

    • John

      Last sentence says the shooting is still going through investigation at federal and state levels.

    • 1500 AM WJSV

      Won’t happen. Federal Criminal Protection Program will give him a new identity and a new life.

  • Badeye

    Beats a 500K term life insurance policy.

  • RossPass

    I guess Ebola is out and police mishaps are the in as far as news goes.

    • Jenn

      Police mishaps > ISIS news.

      • RossPass

        Nice
        Police mishaps >panda news

    • TML

      A Mishap is Officer O’flarerty dropping his donut. This was no mishap.

      There is a national problem of overly aggressive police officers. Their Unions defend them to the nth. Prosecutors are inbed with the police depts.

      The attitude that they are above the law is dangerous to democracy. Law Enforcement is the defacto Standing Army our Founders so hated.

      If you are not outraged you are either not paying attention or are a protofascist yourself.

  • Jenn

    I don’t recall the original story. So, the police were responding to a domestic dispute….was there some reason why the officer felt the need to shoot? Was Geer advancing at the police in any kind of menacing manner? Was he fighting with them? Did a call to the police mention a weapon? Just questions I wonder about.

    • Smoke_Monster

      He was known to have a gun in the house, but he was not holding it. When he lowered his hands while standing behind his screen door, the officer got spooked and thought he might be reaching down for his gun, once his hands were out of sight.

      • Jenn

        Wow! Do you have a great memory, or did you look it up (like I should have)? Thanks. :)

        • Jenn

          Btw, the pic shown looks a little like Bill Engvall at a quick glance.

          • VAJake321

            Yeah they killed Bill Engvall. No wonder I haven’t seen the guy perform lately.

          • Smoke_Monster

            A little Bill, and a little Larry.

        • Smoke_Monster

          I remember watching the news clip. My mind quickened before Google was invented. Forces me to waste brain cells on data storage.

      • VAJake321

        That makes one wonder if all Officers are aware of anyone that owns a gun at any resident now.

        • Eldorado48

          I do understand that a CCP is linked to your car tag,so they know when they pull you over your carrying

          • VAJake321

            Yes I am aware of that as I have one. I just wondered if they had other methods to identify someone.

        • Smoke_Monster

          I think his girlfriend told them over the phone.

          • VAJake321

            Sounds about right. I witnessed a similar incident but luckily the Officer did not shoot anyone.

        • R A.

          I never got a CCP.
          Their database was being breached too much and peoples personal info was being posted on anti-gun web sites, even in some newspapers.

          But now that the Gubmint drives through the parking lots of all gun shows with their license plate readers, I guess they have my info also…

          • VAJake321

            I understand that. In most cases you can open carry in VA.

          • 1500 AM WJSV

            And, they share that info.

          • R A.

            There is no escaping Big Brother any more.
            I’ll bet NSA has a folder on everyone by now.

    • Joseph Monroe Sr.

      I recall the original story. He was standing with his arms on top of the screen door. He did have a gun, but not within reach of were he was standing. He was shot when he moved his hands from on top of the door, still not within reach of the gun. Someone needs to be charged !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • spoony g

        Darren Wilson needs to be charged with FIRST DEGREE in the Mike Brown EXECUTION.

        • RonaldG

          Some guys get off on internet porn……some on Mike Brown.

          Hate to break it to you. but it ain’t happening.

          Justice prevailed.

          • spoony g

            Mike Brown will get his justice.

          • RonaldG

            He already did.

          • spoony g

            Very funny.

        • Fickle Ryan

          G, we all know you’re trolling.

    • spoony g

      I noticed some of you do not defend the police when they kill an innocent white person, but you do defend the low-life trash policeman when they kill an unarmed innocent black person. Can someone explain this to me.

      • Jenn

        Not sure why you responded to me. I’m not defending or accusing the police in this matter. I simply didn’t remember the story and what happened. I was just asking what had happened. I am all for due process and I don’t believe police, or others should automatically be presumed guilty. I think trash officers should be taken off the force whenever they are found. I also think that sometimes they get a bad rap on the way they have to handle some situations considering the thugs and punks they have to deal with.

        • RonaldG

          He responded to you because he’s a certifiable NUT!

        • spoony g

          Most cops nowadays are trash.

          • Jenn

            Wow, that’s a pretty broad brush. That’s pretty much the equivalent of someone saying most young black men nowadays are thugs.

          • spoony g

            OK very clever comeback.

      • RonaldG

        Which INNOCENT black person are you referring to?

  • nscw2014

    Culosi payout was $2 million after 5 years from Fairfax.. At least the wait times are down and payout is up.

  • Haricot

    Closure will happen when Torres is marched through that disappearing wall in the courtroom wearing handcuffs.

    • spoony g

      AMEN.

    • 1500 AM WJSV

      Where’s the Federal Civil Rights investigation?

      • RonaldG

        The races are wrong…..

  • VAJake321

    Domestic calls are the absolute worse calls any Officer can go to. You do not know the level of anger of anyone in that home or if they may or may not be armed. Many Officers die in the line of duty at domestic calls.

    • spoony g

      Wrong. Many people end up being killed by Maniac Cops that come to Domestic Disputes. Moral of the story is you are better off calling on Jason Voorhies or Mike Myers to handle a dispute than you are calling on Maniac/mentally ill cops. They are all MURDERERS.

      • VAJake321

        You obviously do not read the stats about this type of Police Call. I am not defending this Officer for his actions. I am merely stating that Domestic Calls are extremely Dangerous. To be honest I did not like the Officer’s attitude that showed up at a family members house when his former wife called and lied on him that day either. Some women, NOT ALL, learn how to manipulate the situation to suit their needs.

        • spoony g

          Fair enough.

  • Feral Thug

    Pretty good deal.

    Geer supposedly told the girlfriend he wanted to commit suicide by cop.

    Girlfriend is the one who calls the cops on Geer.

    Girlfriend then benefits from his death.

    This could be a movie plot…

    • VAJake321

      I can see the next Hallmark Channel Mystery movie built on that script.

    • spoony g

      You lie. John Geer never told his girlfriend that. You are just making excuses for these Demon filled/Mentally ill cops.

      • Feral Thug

        You are unquestionably the most dimwitted person I have ever come across. You should stick to fantasizing about romps with “Big” Mike.

        The below is an excerpt from a February 2, 2015 Washington Post article:

        Geer had told Harrington about Geer perhaps wanting to commit “suicide
        by cop”, this brought a raft of other officers from the West Springfield
        police station, who took up positions around the townhouse,

        • spoony g

          YOU LIE. Stop defending these DEMON Cops.

          • Feral Thug

            Once again unable to come up with any facts to support your absurd statements?

            That seems to clearly be what defines you…

  • 1500 AM WJSV

    Fairfax County got off way too easy. A fair settlement would’ve required sale of the Government Center or at least the Massey Building. This was barely a conference table. Individuals and business are routinely forced into liquidation to settle a wrongful death suit. Why should a “government” be any different? Which is more valuable? Government or human life?

    Also, because of the racial element here, where’s the Federal Hate Crime prosecution?

  • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

    I wonder if the county thinks the payoff will keep the family quiet now. Without Greer’s father’s lawsuit none of this would have happened. The real criminal inquiry should look into who covered this up and who tried to keep it quiet. There is such a thing as criminal conspiracy. I would bet the cover up is still occurring at some levels.

    • spoony g

      WOW I am surprised at you Bill.

    • TML

      I’d start with that lawyer in the county prosecutor’s office who withheld files despite repeated requests from the feds, the same one who ignored repeated requests from FFx Cty Supervisors.

      Oh, and to help pay for the settlement, garnish her pension funds.

      • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

        It was a lawyer who represents the county. They did not work in the prosecutors office.

        • TML

          Noted, Thanks.

          • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

            That’s still troubling. It indicates that the leadership of Fairfax County colluded to keep the facts from the public. In essence, at the very least they are elitists. It could be a criminal conspiracy which should raise alarms with the voters in Fairfax County. Since it was a white guy don’t expect McAuliffe to get involved.

          • TML

            It remains to be seen how much collusion there was, if any. Even the Supervisors were getting stonewalled.

          • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

            So they say. But it wouldn’t be the first time the Supervisors misled the public.

          • TML

            Whatever

  • Toitchynuts

    Where’s that rock solid, always reliable, sure as the sunrise, description of the shooting officers race. It’s in all the other police shooting stories I’ve read. What’s so different about this one…………

    • RonaldG

      It’s all dependent on the victim……naturally.

      • Toitchynuts

        Only bigots would say such things……so I’ve been told repeatedly.

        • RonaldG

          And only white people can be bigots—-from what I’ve been told.

          Crazy world.

          • TML

            The W on B is getting lots of press, but police are out of control. The Fairfax shooting was utterly uncalled for. The assistant prosecutor closed ranks with the police, refused to cough up info on a timely basis, stonewalled the county supervisors.

            Out in the West police swarmed a guy who had evaded them. He was spread eagle surrendered when the police pursuers came up and kicked the prone guy in the face and crotch and rest joined in on the beat down with their fists.

            At college campuses lawful protestors are pepper sprayed.

            A 57 y o small framed east Indian visting relatives was brutally tackled onto the concrete.

            Blacks get it more often, but the greater issue is that it is happening so often.

            Take off the blinders…it is about much more than playing media critic or discovering that the people you do not like have their own inconsistencies. That is all you guys do. There are bigger issues than your very pedestrian observations about human nature. How convenient for you that you can take a pass because you have spotted a moral inconsistency.

            Meanwhile out of the real world, There needs to be wholesale retraining or rehiring. Many of these LEOs should be in Jail. Why are there so many incidents? Now?

  • Naptown man

    Does this man share no responsibility for threatening to shoot an officer and causing a domestic disturbance? The Washington Post outlined a much different scenario in its coverage: “When Torres, then a 30-year-old officer with seven years’ experience, and Officer David Neil arrived at 2:52 p.m., Geer immediately turned and walked inside the townhouse. As the officers approached, Geer held up a holstered handgun and, according to both officers, said, “I have a gun; I will use it if I need to because you guys have guns.”

    Torres quickly ducked behind a tree trunk 17 feet from the front door, pulled his gun and aimed it at Geer. Neil pulled his gun but kept it pointed down. Geer soon placed his gun on the ground, and no officer saw it again, according to their statements.”

  • spoony g

    Mr John Geer had his hands up in the air and maniac cops still executed him. Mike Brown had his hands in the air and a Demon cop executed him. Rest In Peace John Geer and Big Mike Brown.

    • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

      The grand jury proved that was a myth in reference to Mike Brown.

      • spoony g

        A new grand jury can say different and it would not be double jeopardy

        • Bill Hussein O’Stalin

          It’s not going to happen.

        • RonaldG

          You need a re-do of Civics class.

    • BurningChrome

      Stop regurgitating a “talking point” that has been proven beyond any doubt, to be false.

      • spoony g

        Both Geer and Brown were unarmed with hands up and executed like wild animals.

        • BurningChrome

          uh huh. Sure. Whatever you say spoon. Yawn.

    • nscw2014

      greer didn’t beat up a cop, or did I miss something?

      • spoony g

        You did miss something. Neither did Mike Brown. Have you ever stopped to think that a cop is capable of lying. The scumbag cop in South Carolina would have gotten away with murder if not for the camera. He lied just like Darren Wilson saying Walter Scott took his taser. I guess you saw the cop drop the taser by Scotts body. Why did he do that-to cover his sorry behind. Why did Wilson say Brown attacked him-to cover his sorry behind.

  • ragnar35

    I wonder if the officer got tired from holding/aiming his gun for 30+ minutes – and was too proud to admit that it was an accidental shooting.



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