WASHINGTON — A 25-year-old man from McLean, Virginia was killed last month after an officer shot him, and his family said they’re still in the dark about what led to that deadly shooting.
Bijan Ghaisar was fatally shot in the head by a U.S. Park Police officer on Nov. 17, after a brief pursuit on the George Washington Parkway.
Ghaisar’s mom, dad, sister and brother-in-law gathered outside U.S. Park Police District Two Station on Sunday, just off the George Washington Parkway. They held signs and a large, framed photo of Bijan — and were looking for answers.
“We want everybody here that has stayed silent protecting our son’s shooter to know staying silent is exactly the equivalent of pulling the trigger yourself,” Bijan’s mother, Kelly Ghaisar, told reporters. “So we are demanding that someone start talking about what happened to our son.”
His dad, James Ghaisar, alternated between tears and recounting how much his son was loved by those he met. He described Bijan as “a symbol of love and care and kindness to everybody around him.”
His sister, Negeen Ghaisar, said the family and those who knew Bijan will keep raising their voices until they get the answers they seek. “I want to know who shot my brother. I want the officers’ names, and I want justice for my brother. And I want answers as to why they shot him,” she said.
The FBI is leading the investigation into what led to the shooting, but have yet to release dashcam video that captured the incident.
Bijan’s brother-in-law, Kouros Emami, said he loved Bijan like his own brother and finds it difficult to transform his grief into words. “Unbelievable. It’s like living in an alternate universe, honestly,” he said.
This holiday season is particularly poignant for the family because, with Bijan’s death, family traditions have been broken forever.
“My family went to the National Christmas Tree on the night of Christmas Eve every single year my entire life. I grew up in this area,” Negeen said. “We’re here instead.”
