2 Police Officers Who Shot Bijan Ghaisar Return To Duty: Report

McLEAN, VA — Two U.S. Park Police officers have returned to duty eight years after fatally shooting unarmed driver Bijan Ghaisar of McLean during a pursuit down the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

According to a court document obtained by WTOP, Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya returned to work after they were cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the inspector general. Both Vinyard and Amaya had been on paid administrative leave since 2021 when the Department of the Interior initially proposed they should lose their jobs.

The fatal shooting of Ghaisar, 25, happened on Nov. 17, 2017, at Alexandria Avenue off the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Fort Hunt.

According to court documents, Ghaisar's Jeep had been rear-ended by another vehicle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway near Slaters Lane in the City of Alexandria. Ghaisar fled and drove south on the parkway before the hit-and-run driver called 911 to report the crash.

Vinyard and Amaya were on patrol when dispatch told them to pursue Ghaisar. The dispatcher initially said Ghaisar's Jeep was the striking vehicle, but then corrected the information. After encountering Ghaisar's vehicle on Washington Street, the officers pursued him.

Ghaisar continued south on Washington Street and did not pull over, according to the court documents. Police cruiser video released by Fairfax County Police shows Park Police stopped his car several times during the pursuit. In these encounters, Vinyard and Amaya approached Ghaisar's car with their weapons drawn before Ghaisar drove away.

When Ghaisar stopped at Fort Hunt Road and Alexandria Avenue in Fort Hunt, video showed the two officers firing shots at him as he tried to drive away. Court documents said Ghaisar's vehicle lurched toward Amaya before he fired at Ghaisar. The Jeep stopped but again moved forward, leading both officers to shoot at Ghaisar.

Ghaisar's family said the accountant was unarmed when officers fired 10 shots at him. He died 10 days later after suffering several gunshots to the head and severe brain damage.

The Ghaisar family reached a $5 million settlement with the federal government in 2023 and vowed to continue advocacy against police brutality.

Related:

• Officers Who Shot Bijan Ghaisar Sue Federal Agency: Report
• Bijan Ghaisar's Family Turns Focus To Police Brutality Cases After $5M Settlement

In 2019, the Justice Department said it would not pursue federal charges against the officers because it could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ghaisar’s civil rights were willfully violated.

But, Fairfax County's Commonwealth's Attorney worked to get a grand jury indictment against the officers. Amaya and Vinyard were each charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, but the charges were dismissed in October 2021.

Shortly after the charges were dismissed, Vinyard and Amaya were notified that the Interior Department planned to terminate their employment. Three years later, the officers filed a lawsuit requesting that a judge order the agency to make a final determination of their actions.

In the lawsuit, the officers claimed they were suffering “significant career and financial consequences, including damage to their reputation, loss of overtime pay, and the ongoing stress.”

The lawsuit was dropped following their reinstatement, WTOP reported.