Fatally Shot Park Police Victim Fled After Rear-Ended: Reports

MCLEAN, VA—The McLean man fatally shot by U.S. Park Police had been rear-ended when he fled the scene of the original crash in Alexandria, a police report obtained by The Washington Post says.

Bijan Ghaisar, 25, of McLean had been traveling on the George Washington Memorial Parkway Nov. 17 when he stopped in the left lane and was hit by another vehicle. The report did not indicate Ghaisar or the other driver, who worked for Uber, exchanged words.

Park Police were notified to be on the lookout for Ghaisar's Jeep, and an officer began pursuing him south into Fairfax County. The pursuit ended not far from the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Fort Hunt, where two officers shot him.

The police report indicates the vehicles clocked in at 59 miles per hour during the pursuit, but Park Police wouldn't comment on why there was a pursuit for a car that had been rear ended in the first place.

Ghaisar's family said he was unarmed when police shot him multiple times in the head. He died 10 days after the shooting from injuries relating to gunshots to the head. He was a Langley High School graduate and worked at his family's accounting firm.

Roy Austin, a lawyer for Ghaisar's family, told The Post, “It is even more clear that the killing of Bijan Ghaisar was completely unnecessary. He was the victim of a rear-end collision and ends up being shot and killed by the police. There is something very wrong about the shooting.”

Other details about the shooting remain unclear as the FBI continues to investigate. The names of the two officers that shot him have not been released, but they have been on administrative leave since the shooting, according to WUSA. His family continues to press for answers, as Park Police have not indicated why the officers shot Ghaisar.

Fairfax County officials have joined calls for releasing the in-car video of the shooting, which a Fairfax County Police cruiser recorded. Fairfax County Police officers did not discharge their weapons at the shooting scene but have turned over the in-car video as evidence to the FBI.

Andrew Vale, assistant director in charge for the FBI's Washington Field Office has said, "The FBI intends to release the dashcam video at the conclusion of specific investigative actions, so as not to prejudice the ongoing investigation."

Follow McLean Patch on Facebook or subscribe for more information on this and other local stories.

Image via Shutterstock