Fairfax County pastor reacts to police tasing of man 'in crisis'
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - The Pastor of Harvest Assembly Baptist church in the Gum Springs section of Fairfax County held a community meeting at his church on Monday.
Johnnie Abram set up chairs in the driveway and parking lot for anyone who wanted to come and have their voices heard.
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In an interview with FOX 5, Abram said he was stunned that such a thing could happen in his community while the world mourns George Floyd with protests and marches.
Floyd died in Minneapolis while in police custody. Four officers have been charged in his death which has been ruled a homicide.
READ MORE: Fairfax County police officer charged with assault after tasing man
Pastor Abram says he and other members of the clergy in Fairfax County had just met with County Police Chief Edwin Roessler to discuss relations with the police when a county officer tased a man across the street from his church. A use of force that has lead to assault charges against the officer identified as Tyler Timberlake.
"I'm thinking not again", said Pastor Abram, "and my heart just reached out with really mixed emotions but just grateful that the man Monte did not lose his life but another I cannot breath".
RELATED: Fairfax County Police to move forward on body camera plan
A body worn camera recording of the incident shows what police say is "a man in crisis" wandering Fordson Road around 1:30 p.m. Friday.
He is speaking unintelligibly as Paramedics and a police officer try to help him.
He is asked if he wants to go to detox and as the Paramedics attempt to get him into a waiting ambulance, another officer pulls up, gets out of his cruiser and within seconds shoots the man with a taser.
The man falls to the ground screaming in pain as Officer Tyler Timberlake kneels on his back and according to the video appears to strike the man in the head and taze him a second time.
County Police Chief Edwin Roessler called the use of force "Unacceptable".
Gum Springs activist Queenie Cox had this reaction to the incident.
"Outrage, disappointment, particularly in today's environment", she said, "and particularly with all the protests and rally's and marches that are going on around the country about justice and it was kind of a flash back of what happened to George Flloyd, with the exception the victim in our community survived".
Court records show Timberlake was released on his own recognizance. He is facing three assault and battery charges and is due back in court on July 31.
Police say a patrol supervisor alerted the command staff to the incident.
The officers who were with Timberlake have now been assigned to administrative duties.
We have reached out to the officers attorney for comment but as of Monday afternoon had not received a response.