A Fairfax County police officer was arrested and charged with three counts of assault and battery after video shows him using force against a black man on Friday.
Bodycam shows officer Tyler Timberlake using a stun gun on a man and pinning him to the ground, placing his knee on the mans back… even though the man did not appear combative.
Timberlake has been an officer for 8 years and assigned to the Mount Vernon District Station.
Officers responded to a man in crisis wandering around in the roadway around 1:30 p.m. As an officer attempted to deescalate the situation that was underway….Timberlake arrived shortly after and used force that is unacceptable..
One officer can be seen controlling the situation by calmly speaking to the man, who appears to be disoriented. Officer Timberlake later arrives and immediately deploys a Taser on the man several times.
Based on this action, both a criminal and administrative investigation were immediately initiated at the direction of Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr, Chief of Police. “The actions of the officer clearly exceeded the boundaries of law, policy and professionalism,” the statement said. As part of the department’s internal investigation, Timberlake and other involved officers were immediately relieved of their law enforcement duties as police officers and placed on administrative leave. “The Fairfax County Police Department strives to maintain the highest degree of integrity and public trust. Allegations of improper conduct or criminal violations by officers or department personnel are taken seriously and comprehensively investigated, as with any crime,” the statement said. If an alleged violation is determined to be credible and sustained, that employee will be held accountable through appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination.