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HENRICO, Va. (AP) - A Virginia police officer has been indicted on a voluntary manslaughter charge in the shooting death of a man after a car crash in November, a county prosecutor said Friday.
Henrico County Police Officer Timothy Grant Million III was released on an unsecured bond after his initial court appearance on Friday.
Million was the first officer to respond to the scene after Tony Elliot Singleton, 53, of Tidewater, Virginia, crashed his vehicle, and it rolled over, Henrico County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor said. Other officers were at the scene of the Nov. 6 crash on Interstate 64 when the shooting occurred, but Million was the only officer who fired at Singleton, according to Taylor. She said Singleton was white.
The prosecutor said the grand jury that indicted Million on Thursday heard testimony from a witness who saw what appeared to be a knife handle in Singleton’s waistband. A knife was found in Singleton’s possession, according to Taylor.
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"The charge we have here today is reflective of an action where one may have observed something and overreacted to a situation," she said.
Million’s attorney, Andrew Meyer, said he was "taken aback" by the indictment.
"We are sure that once the facts come out, the shooting will be shown to be justified and my client will be cleared," Meyer said.
Circuit Court Chief Judge L.A. Harris ordered Million released on an unsecured bond after his initial court appearance on Friday. Million’s next court appearance is set for Feb. 28. Court records do not list his race.
The voluntary manslaughter charge carries a minimum sentence of one year imprisonment and a maximum of 10 years.
Million, a Henrico County police officer since March 2018, has been placed on leave without pay.