Alexandria Police Officer Dismissed Over Use-Of-Force Incident

UPDATE: Alexandria Police Officer Charged, Use-Of-Force Incident Revealed

ALEXANDRIA, VA — An Alexandria police officer has been dismissed over a use-of-force incident. The police department has referred the case to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney to determine if criminal charges are warranted. According to the city, three supervisors who did not promptly investigate the use of force have also been disciplined.

Because the termination process and criminal review are ongoing, the city news release did not identify the officer, date or location of the encounter. The incident was described as "weaponless force against a white male subject’s leg, in order to take him to the ground." A police investigation determined use of force was unnecessary.

"Use of force is dehumanizing and should be avoided whenever possible, even when legally justified," said Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown in a statement. "Unjustified use of force is completely unacceptable, and we will continue to hold officers accountable in the rare cases when violations of this policy occur. Alexandria police officers do not typically use force at all, because they are required to de-escalate interactions and situations when possible by communicating effectively with subjects, maintaining distance, and employing other measures to protect themselves and those around them."

This is the only use-of-force incident the police department determined to be unjustified since 2017. According to the department's policy, officers should "only use the force necessary to accomplish lawful objectives." Officers are directed to report their use of force, and an investigation follows. Officer-involved shootings have been investigated by the Virginia State Police since 2018, and additional review by the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney is required for these shootings.

According to a 2019 use of force report, 37 Alexandria police officers used "varying levels of force" on 28 people among 4,316 arrests. This includes 12 Black men, eight white men, four Hispanic men, three Black women, and one white woman.

Protests and calls for police reform emerged in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody. The City Council directed staff to create a community police review board proposal for consideration in September. The police department recently posted a web page detailing use-of-force policy and accountability.