Jasper Aaron Lynch, 26, was shot and killed by police in 2022 after police responded to a report of him suffering from mental illness.
MCLEAN, Va. — Three Fairfax County police officers will not be charged in connection with the 2022 shooting death of Jasper Aaron Lynch.
On July 7, 2022, officers responding to a call of a man experiencing mental health symptoms shot and killed 26-year-old Lynch inside his home in McLean.
The FCPD officers were identified as Officers George, Kirsch, and Park.
“After reviewing this incident, we have concluded that all three officers used some form of force, but none of them violated any criminal law. Therefore, I am a member of the Pack Police Department. “We decline to file criminal charges against the police, Officer Kirsch, and Officer George.” attorney Steve Descano said in a release posted on Facebook Friday around 5 p.m.
All three officers had CIT training, but none were assigned to a joint response force, so none of the officers were accompanied by a CSB crisis intervention specialist, according to the report.
The entire interaction was recorded on three officers’ body-worn cameras.
Body-worn camera footage released in August 2022 shows less than 35 seconds elapsed between the first officer entering the home and the shooting.
Image warning: The video below shows body camera footage of a fatal police shooting. Viewer discretion is advised.
According to the report, Aaron Lynch “jumped out of the next room and into the hallway” with a bottle of Burgundy wine and a long wooden mask.
The officers asked him if he was okay, repeatedly telling him to “put it down,” and then saying, “It’s okay.” Lynch asks if her parents are there. A chorus of voices responds, some saying they’re not in trouble, some saying no, and still others calling out, “You said to call us — remember?”
At that point, Lynch appeared to throw his mask at one of the officers and ran towards them brandishing a bottle. Two officers then fired electronically controlled weapons, such as Tasers, and a third officer fired four shots at the man, the chief said.
The officer who shot the man was later identified as Officer 1st Class Edward George.
Police said officers immediately rendered aid to Lynch, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured in the shooting. However, Chief Kevin Davis confirmed that the officer who shot Lynch is now in a supervisory position and will not be doing patrol or other activities that involve contact with the public.
Statement from Pat Lynch and Kathy Lynch:
We are saddened and devastated by the federal prosecutor’s decision not to charge Officer George, the police officer who shot and killed our son, Aaron Lynch, on July 7, 2022. We have carefully reviewed the body camera footage and believe an incident occurred. Federal prosecutors’ account of key aspects of how this tragedy unfolded is incorrect. We cannot understand how Aaron’s shooting could be considered anything other than an unreasonable and excessive use of force in any way. Aaron was tackled to the ground by another officer and was completely unarmed when Officer George fired the final, fatal bullet into Aaron’s neck. This happened after Officer George shot Aaron four times. Why did it need to be filmed again?
It took a long time for federal prosecutors to make this decision, but it only adds to the pain and anxiety for our family. We are very disappointed and wonder why it took over 18 months. All the facts point in a different direction than the findings of this report. Our son was going through a serious mental health crisis that day. He was frightened and asked us to call 911. We believe that the three police officers responding to the call could have handled the incident very differently. There is no justification for shooting Aaron five times, let alone in response to his mental health crisis. How could a small son, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a bottle and an ornamental mask, pose a serious threat to three police officers?
This is an injustice that no family should have to endure. We continue to demand accountability from the FCPD and Fairfax County for both Aaron and our family, and we hope this will help prevent such a tragic outcome for other families in the future. Masu.
RELATED: Fairfax police release body camera footage after man shot and killed during mental health crisis
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