Fredericksburg police officer will not face charges in shooting death of suspect
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - A Fredericksburg police officer will not face any charges in connection to the shooting death of an armed suspect over the summer.
The shooting took place around 7:50 a.m. on July 21. Officers responded to the 1600 block of Sunken Road after receiving reports that a man with a knife had assaulted an older man and was demanding money from people.
The first responding officer, Gregory Baugher, quickly arrived on scene where he found the suspect and ordered him to drop the weapon. The suspect would not comply and then charged at the officer with the knife.
The officer then fired a shot and hit the suspect.
Additional officers arrived at the scene and immediately began rendering life-saving measures until EMS arrived. They transported the suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Taylor Lee Drew, to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Per department protocol, Fredericksburg Police requested that Virginia State Police (VSP) conduct a criminal investigation into Baugher’s actions to determine if any laws were violated.
Upon completing their criminal investigation, VSP turned their findings over to Fredericksburg Commonwealth Attorney Elizabeth Humphries. After review, Humphries determined that the officer’s actions were legally justified and no criminal charges will be filed.
Fredericksburg Police Chief Brian Layton also requested that the department's Office of Professional Standards investigate the incident. They too determined that the officer's actions did not violate department directives.
Baugher has been employed with the Fredericksburg Police Department since 2019. He has returned to the patrol division now that the investigations are complete.
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