Fairfax County cop’s use of stun gun was case of mistaken identity, lawyer says
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (AP) - Lawyers say a Fairfax County police officer charged with assault after firing a stun gun at an unarmed African American man believed his target was somebody else.
WTOP Radio reports that both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer for Officer Tyler Timberlake agreed at a hearing Tuesday in Fairfax County General District Court that Timberlake thought he shot a person named Anthony, who had an extensive criminal record. But the victim was somebody else entirely.
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Defense attorney Brandon Shapiro said the fact is relevant to Timberlake's defense because it shows his actions toward the individual were not irrational.
Body-worn camera footage released by Fairfax County Police shows Timberlake, who is white, arrived on scene Friday in the county's Gum Springs neighborhood, advanced on an African American man and quickly fired his stun gun after other officers had spent several minutes trying to persuade him to get into an ambulance to go to a detox center.
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Prosecutor Bob Frank disagreed about the relevance of the mistaken identity.
“A mistake on his part does not justify what he did,” Frank said.
Shapiro said Timberlake has no history of previous incidents and that the widely seen video is jeopardizing his client's right to a fair trial.
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A judge granted a request from Shapiro that prosecutors turn over other video from before and after the shooting., including what Shapiro said were urgent requests for backup from officers prior to Timberlake's arrival on the scene.
The victim, who was acting in a disoriented manner in the middle of a residential street when he was shot, was treated at a hospital and released.
Timberlake, who is free pending trial, did not attend the hearing.
The NAACP told FOX 5 that they are demanding police reform and accountability, inviting Fairfax County police chief and the board of supervisors to a virtual town hall on Tuesday to discuss several demands.
Specifically, the NAACP is demanding all officers wear body worn cameras and implement a zero tolerance policy for any officer who leaves their body worn camera off.
They also want a public database showing when an officer violates policy and who.
Plus, they’re demanding an annual outside review of the use of force, starting in the next 60 days.