WASHINGTON – Former Fairfax County police officer Adam Torres was sentenced to one year in jail, plus three years suspended, on Friday in the death of John Geer, whom Torres shot and killed in 2013. Even with the sentence, Torres will be released from jail next week, according to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office.
Torres shot Geer, 46, while the latter stood on his doorstep in Springfield, Virginia, in August 2013. The shooting came at the end of a 40-minute standoff that started with a domestic-dispute call. Geer was unarmed at the time of the shooting, and witnesses say he had his hands up.
Prosecutors had said that Torres was unfit for duty at the time of the shooting since he had been fighting with his wife before responding to Geer’s house.
Torres said he thought Geer was reaching for a nearby gun. He accepted a plea deal earlier this year that took a murder charge off the table, and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Anne Geer, John Geer’s mother, said at the courthouse that her son had been executed by a police officer, and that a year in jail was offensive. “This is not justice,” she said.
Anne Geer: Prosecutor Ray Morrogh was wishy-washy in accepting plea. What kind of a Commonwealth’s Attorney do we have? This was murder.
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 24, 2016
Mother of John Geer, is furious that prosecutor Ray Morrogh accepted plea. pic.twitter.com/j7dRSiSUj6 — Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 24, 2016
Torres has already served more than 10 months. He did not speak at the sentencing.
Maegan Timothy, spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, said Torres’ release date is set for June 29.
Morrogh had moved to revoke Torres’ bond leading up to his plea, “so, whether he did the 10 months before or after, it’s kind of six of one, half-dozen of another.”
Defense attorney John Carroll said Torres has remorse, and had expressed it during his plea hearing.
“His actions caused the Geer girls — Haylea and Morgan — to be without their father,” Carroll said.
“Adam Torres is moving on with his life, and I think that’s the best thing that can happen, and the Geer family can work on trying to recover from this,” he said.
In a statement, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said in part, “We support the judicial process and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. The action of one former employee is not reflective of the honorable work performed by the members of our Department, sworn, civilian and volunteer.”
In another statement, Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova called Geer’s death “a tragic event and a painful chapter in Fairfax County history. With today’s sentencing, the justice system has done its part. Although Adam Torres’ act cannot be undone, there are many things Fairfax County can do to ensure future tragedies such as this never happen again.”
She referred to police reform measures recommended by the county’s Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission, which recommended changes to the way officers are trained to respond to, and inform the public of, critical incidents.
“We are committed to promoting community trust and making our Police Department a national model moving forward.”
Pros Ray Morrogh: Since John Geer has been in jail since August, he should be getting out “in a couple weeks” pic.twitter.com/Be3TJjUSpG
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) June 24, 2016
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
