A Fatal Shooting
Prince William County Police shot and killed a 79-year-old man on Thursday, 10 December. Police stated that his wife called 911, saying the man was suicidal and armed with a handgun. The incident ended with five officers firing at the man. As a result, the man was fatally injured.
New Leadership
This shooting comes at a difficult time for Prince William County Police. Recently, the Washington, DC suburb hired DC Police Chief Peter Newsham as its new chief. Critics argue that Chief Newsham comes with a great deal of controversy. InsideNOVA, a local newspaper, reports that “Many pro-reform activists say Newsham resisted calls for more transparency within the district’s police department.”
Controversy
In a statement that D.C. Councilmember Robert White, head of the public safety committee, called “dangerous,” Newsham reportedly told officers ““I think the most disheartening thing for me and maybe for some of you is that the city council forgot our history in this critical moment in our history. They completely abandoned us,” he said, according to Fox 5. “They ignored our 20 years of reform and insulted us by suggesting that we urgently needed reform as if our police department would commit a murder like the one in Minneapolis.” This statement came after the council banned chokeholds and pushed the release of police bodycams.
Questions Remain
Questions about the future of the police department remain. Is Newsham the right man for the job of Prince William County Police Chief? Was the 79-year-old man’s death preventable? These questions remain, as of yet, unanswered.
