In Use Of Force On Black Man, Fairfax County Officer Found Not Guilty

GUM SPRINGS, VA — A police officer was found not guilty in a 2020 use-of-force incident in Gum Springs involving a stun gun used on a Black man in crisis.

A grand jury found Officer Tyler Timberlake not guilty on misdemeanor assault and battery charges on Friday, as reported by the Associated Press.

The June 2020 use-of-force incident had been caught on body-worn camera video from the first officer arriving on scene. Police had responded to a man in crisis walking on the roadway on Fordson Road in Gum Springs. Video showed the first responding officer and fire department personnel talking with the man, identified as Lamonta Gladney, and trying to convince him to enter an ambulance.

In the video, Gladney speaks with first responders and walks around the roadway but does not appear to make aggressive actions.

As Timberlake arrives in the video, he fires a stun gun at the man. The video shows the officer putting his knees on Gladney's back and tasing the man on his neck. Other first responders are seen helping to restrain the man.

As reported by media outlets and AP, drug tests showed PCP in Gladney's system. Timberlake's defense lawyer said the officer recognized the man was on PCP, and expert testimony during the trial linked PCP use with violence.

After the incident, then-Police Chief Ed Roessler Jr. called for administrative and internal investigations. Timberlake and other involved officers were put on administrative leave pending outcomes of the investigations.

New Police Chief Kevin Davis told AP the police department will move to wrap up its internal investigation.

Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano, whose office prosecuted the case, expressed disappointment with the jury's verdict but said he is "not surprised."

"It is notoriously hard to prosecute a case like this, but my standard of prosecuting a case isn't whether it's easy or hard," said Descano in a statement. "My standard is doing what I think is right to hold people, including law enforcement, accountable for their actions."

"True justice goes beyond any one case," Descano added. "True justice will be achieved when my Black and brown neighbors don't have to fear for their well-being when they leave their homes."

At the time of the incident, Roessler said the officer's actions violate the department's use of force policies and ignore the sanctity of life. He noted the first responding officer, paramedics and firefighters were doing the right thing by trying to deescalate the situation and get him into the ambulance.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 77 called for Roessler to resign for his statements against Timberlake before investigations had finished. The organization said "citizens, including police officers, have the right to due process."

After the jury's verdict, the organization thanked the defense legal team for their work resulting in Timberlake's acquittal.

Gladney has also filed a civil lawsuit against Timberlake in federal court. According to court documents, Gladney had went into the roadway to seek help for a friend who became unconscious and needed medical attention and oxygen. According to the complaint, the concern about his friend "seemingly rendered him unable to comprehend and communicate."

The complaint states when Timberlake fired a stun gun at him, Gladney was unarmed, and "at no time was Gladney threatening Timberlake by either word or gesture, nor was he attempting to evade him."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.