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NASA employee charged in Fairfax County homicide was involved in 2 deadly shootings as a police officer in Washington state

By and
Updated  March 4, 2020 10:24pm EST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 5 DC

Neighbor dispute turns deadly in Fairfax County

A NASA employee who’s been charged in the shooting death of a neighbor in Fairfax County was involved in two deadly shootings as a police officer in Washington state, according to authorities.

SPRINGFIELD, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A NASA employee who’s been charged in the shooting death of a neighbor in Fairfax County was involved in two deadly shootings as a police officer in Washington state, according to authorities.

City of Bellevue police say 52-year-old Michael Hetle was cleared in connection with both fatal shootings.

Michael Hetle

According to police, Fairfax County police found 24-year-old Javon Prather on Tuesday evening suffering from gunshot wounds when they responded to a reported shooting in the 7700 block of Bedstraw Court around 4:52 p.m.

Emergency personnel tried to save him, but Prather was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prather's mother told FOX 5 that her son was unarmed and checking the mail when Hetle allegedly shot him. She says Hetle shot him "more than once."

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The National Guard confirmed Prather was an infantryman. 

Investigators charged Hetle with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

He is being held at the Fairfax County jail without bond.

NASA provided FOX 5 with a statement regarding Hetle:

We can confirm Michael Hetle is a career civil servant who works at NASA Headquarters in Washington in the agency’s Enterprise Protection Program, which provides cross-agency independent risk mitigation assessment of NASA programs and activities. For any additional information, we have to refer you to the Fairfax County Police.

National Guardsman gunned down in Fairfax County

A NASA employee who’s been charged in the shooting death of a neighbor in Fairfax County was involved in two deadly shootings as police officer in Washington state, according to authorities.