'All Fairfax Cops Knew About Timothy Johnson was that He was Black, Male, Unarmed, Posed No Imminent Threat to Them and Allegedly Stole Some SunGlasses- but that was Enough Info to Execute Him'

From [HERE] The family of Timothy McCree Johnson, an unarmed Black man fatally shot by Fairfax County police outside Tysons Corner Center last month, watched body-camera footage of his killing. Their lawyer asserted afterward that the video showed Johnson had posed no threat to law enforcement.

“The best way to describe the video is to say first what was not on it,” said Carl Crews, an attorney for the family, after viewing the footage Wednesday. “What it doesn’t show: danger. It doesn’t show the officers faced any danger — imminent or otherwise.”

Crews said he and the family watched eight minutes of the Feb. 22 footage, ending with Sgt. Wesley Shifflett and Officer First Class James Sadler firing at Johnson, 37, who authorities have said was suspected of stealing designer sunglasses at the mall nearby. The Fairfax County Police Department is planning to release the footage publicly on Thursday afternoon.

Crews said the footage showed Shifflett, who was in uniform, and Sadler, who was in plain clothes, attempting to stop Johnson after the suspected theft and chasing him on foot into a wooded area. He said the officers can be heard telling Johnson to stop running and to lie down before they shoot him.

Crews said it was unclear to see who fired and when, though police have previously said that both officers fired shots and that Johnson was struck once in the chest. Authorities said he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

“This was an execution by Fairfax County police officers,” Crews said.

Police declined to comment on remarks made by the Johnson family Wednesday, but they confirmed the meeting occurred. The footage was from a body camera worn by Shifflett.

Melissa Johnson, Timothy Johnson’s mother, said that she could not describe specific details from the footage and that it was difficult to process and make sense of what she saw.

“No parent should have to view the killing of their child and then be asked to give remarks,” Melissa Johnson said. “However, here we are. And here I stand.”

Melissa Johnson said she hoped the court system would provide justice for her son, who she previously said was a father of two and an artist who had hoped to start his own clothing line. Timothy Johnson’s killing was an opportunity for the community to right systemic failures and racial bias, she said, adding that when police first investigated the case, she felt he had been painted in a negative light. Police did not say initially that Timothy Johnson was unarmed and indicated that they were searching the woods for evidence before later confirming that no weapon had been recovered. The police chief also referenced his criminal history.

“They drew their guns, fired and shot and killed him,” Melissa Johnson said. “And the only thing that they knew was that he was accused of allegedly taking a pair of sunglasses. Officer Sadler and Shifflett did not know his name, did not know his age, did not know where he went to school, did not know the names of his children or anything about his past — personal or judicial — history. The only thing they knew was that he was Black and male.”