Officer Facing Murder Charge in Fatal Shooting of John Geer

A former Fairfax County officer has been indicted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed resident in August 2013.

While responding to a domestic dispute, Adam Torres fired the single shot that would kill John Geer as the man stood at his front door.

Torres was indicted on a 2nd Degree murder charge, according to NBC Washington. An arraignment is expected as early as Wednesday, according to the Washington Post.

More than a year of internal investigations and secrecy followed the shooting, before Torres was finally identified as the shooter in January, 2015.

According to a police statement in January, officers spoke with Geer, 46, for more than 30 minutes as he stood in the doorway of the home. At one point, Geer allegedly began lowering his hands and that is when Torres fired. Geer went inside the home and shut the door, not responding to police requests that he open the door.

A loaded, holstered firearm was reportedly recovered on the landing of the stairs to Geer’s left where he had stood in the doorway and seven more firearms were recovered inside the home, according to police.

Fairfax County paid almost $3 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit, according to NBC Washington.

Torres was fired from the police force at the end of July, according to The Washington Post, soon after the grand jury began deliberations in the case.

Last week, Fairfax County Police released 10 years of data on officer-involved shootings.

“Through many formal and informal processes, we desire to increase engagement with the community and our profession to constantly seek input to enhance our practices, especially those related to the deployment of deadly force,” said chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. in a statement in releasing the data.

More at Patch:

• Officer Identified in John Geer Shooting (Jan. 5, 2015)
• Geer Family Suing Fairfax County for Son’s Killing (Dec. 6, 2014)
• Man Dies in Police-Involved Shooting in Springfield (Aug. 30, 2014)