WASHINGTON — It took Fairfax County Police more than a year to release information about the shooting of a Springfield man by a police officer in 2013.
That delay has prompted the creation of a new commission charged with reviewing the department’s protocols for deciding what information to release publicly about events like police-involved shootings.
County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Boulova said the police department’s practices when it comes use-of-force and threat assessment training and internal affairs will also be examined by the commission, which will include county officials, citizens and members of law enforcement, legal communities and even the media.
Fairfax County officer Adam Torres shot and killed John Geer during a standoff in August of 2013. The police department didn’t release any information about the shooting until late 2014.
“What I think we’ve learned from the Geer situation is that we need to communicate sooner and more frequently,” Boulova said.
She said the goal is to make the county more transparent and to provide more frequent and thorough information to the public.
Boulova said this is about bringing the community to the table while practices and policies are under review. She will ask the board of supervisors for their endorsement of the commission at a meeting on March 3rd.
