The 2013 shooting of John Geer by a Fairfax County, Virginia, police officer has provoked demonstrations and allegations of a police cover-up.
Geer and his girlfriend had been arguing. He was throwing her belongings onto the lawn when she called the police. Soon, 4 cops arrived and began talking to him. Geer stood in the doorway. He tried to surrender a legal handgun to the cops, saying he didn’t want to be shot. It was holstered and laying on the ground, and Geer had his hands up, when Officer Adam Torres shot him once in the chest. None of the cops went to his aid, and he bled to death just inside the doorway of his home.
Geer’s shooting was witnessed by his father and a friend in addition to the 3 other cops. Torres claimed he thought Geer made a move for the gun, but none of the other 5 witnesses supported his story. Later, the cops falsely claimed Torres barricaded himself inside after being shot.
Torres left the police force. The case dragged for months. The feds got involved. Finally, two years later, a grand jury indicted Torres for second-degree murder.
Photos: Shooter Torres (left), and victim Geer (right)