Bijan Ghaisar's Family To Protest Park Police Chief's Promotion

WASHINGTON, DC — A protest is planned on Sept. 16 as U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean gets promoted to a top Interior Department law enforcement position. The family of Bijan Ghaisar, who was fatally shot by two Park Police officers in 2017, will lead the protest.

The protest will take place at Rawlins Park in front of the Department of Interior at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 16. That's expected to be MacLean's first day as director of the Interior Department’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security.

MacLean has faced criticism for not providing answers on the fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar in 2017 or identifying the two officers involved. The officers—Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard—were identified earlier this year as part of the Ghaisar family's pending wrongful death lawsuit.

The Washington Post's editorial board said this about MacLean's response to the Ghaisar shooting: "An unarmed American civilian was gunned down by uniformed federal police under his command, and Mr. MacLean has made no attempt to tell the public what happened and no apparent effort to ensure it does not happen again."

Ghaisar, a 25-year-old accountant from McLean, was shot after a pursuit on the George Washington Memorial Parkway on Nov. 17, 2017. The pursuit began when Ghaisar fled from a crash in which he was rear-ended in Alexandria.

Fairfax County Police released in-car video of the pursuit and shooting. The video shows police pulling over Ghaisar's vehicle several times. Officers appear to approach with weapons before Ghaisar drives away. During the final stop at Alexandria Avenue and Fort Hunt Road, the two officers again approach and fire their weapons as Ghaisar attempts to drive away. According to the wrongful death lawsuit, the officers proceeded to fire nine shots at Ghaisar.

Ghaisar was struck in the head by four bullets and died in the hospital 10 days later. Fairfax County Police also released reports indicating Ghaisar was unarmed, the Washington Post previously reported.

Members of Congress have been pressing the FBI for information as the investigation into the shooting continues. The Justice Department has not decided on whether to charge the officers. The officers are on administrative leave since the shooting.

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