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Officers who killed Bijan Ghaisar in 2017, still on leave, sue Interior
Hat tip, WTOP
Officers who killed Bijan Ghaisar in 2017, still on leave, sue Interior
Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya, who have been on paid leave for more than six years, seek decision on whether they will be fired.
By Tom Jackman
July 30, 2024 at 5:11 p.m. EDT
More than six years after they fatally shot unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar in Fairfax County, the two U.S. Park Police officers who were legally cleared of any wrongdoing are still on paid administrative leave. The Interior Department took steps to fire them in 2021, then never made a decision on their case.
So the officers, Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya, are now suing the Interior Department and the official in charge of handling their case, Deputy Assistant Secretary Lisa Branum, in federal court. The officers aren’t explicitly seeking reinstatement, only a ruling on their pending case. They accuse Interior of ignoring standard disciplinary procedures and failing to provide a decision “at the earliest practicable date,” as federal law requires.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington on July 10, also alleges that the Park Police never conducted a standard internal investigation of the Nov. 17, 2017, killing of Ghaisar, a 25-year-old accountant who worked for his father in McLean.
Vinyard, 42, and Amaya, 44, have never spoken publicly about the case, and declined to comment Tuesday on their lawsuit, which marks the latest turn in a fraught chapter for the agency. The high-profile killing that began with a police pursuit on the George Washington Memorial Parkway prompted reviews by federal and local law enforcement and drew the attention of Congress.
By Tom Jackman
Tom Jackman has been covering criminal justice for The Washington Post since 1998 and anchors the True Crime blog. He previously covered crime and courts for the Kansas City Star. Twitter https://x.com/TomJackmanWP
Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya, who have been on paid leave for more than six years, seek decision on whether they will be fired.
By Tom Jackman
July 30, 2024 at 5:11 p.m. EDT
More than six years after they fatally shot unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar in Fairfax County, the two U.S. Park Police officers who were legally cleared of any wrongdoing are still on paid administrative leave. The Interior Department took steps to fire them in 2021, then never made a decision on their case.
So the officers, Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya, are now suing the Interior Department and the official in charge of handling their case, Deputy Assistant Secretary Lisa Branum, in federal court. The officers aren’t explicitly seeking reinstatement, only a ruling on their pending case. They accuse Interior of ignoring standard disciplinary procedures and failing to provide a decision “at the earliest practicable date,” as federal law requires.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington on July 10, also alleges that the Park Police never conducted a standard internal investigation of the Nov. 17, 2017, killing of Ghaisar, a 25-year-old accountant who worked for his father in McLean.
Vinyard, 42, and Amaya, 44, have never spoken publicly about the case, and declined to comment Tuesday on their lawsuit, which marks the latest turn in a fraught chapter for the agency. The high-profile killing that began with a police pursuit on the George Washington Memorial Parkway prompted reviews by federal and local law enforcement and drew the attention of Congress.
By Tom Jackman
Tom Jackman has been covering criminal justice for The Washington Post since 1998 and anchors the True Crime blog. He previously covered crime and courts for the Kansas City Star. Twitter https://x.com/TomJackmanWP