The family of a man shot and killed by U.S. Park Police along the George Washington Parkway in 2017 settled its wrongful death lawsuit for $5 million.
Bijan Ghaisar was a 25-year-old accountant from McLean, Virginia, with no criminal record when Park Police pursued his SUV after a report of a hit-and-run on southbound GW Parkway at Slaters Lane in Alexandria. Ghaisar's SUV was rear-ended when he suddenly stopped in the left lane, the driver and passenger in the striking vehicle told police.
Officers tried to stop Ghaisar, but he "led United States Park Police officers on a vehicle pursuit," Park Police said. The stop-and-go chase continued south on the parkway, into Fairfax County.
Park Police said they opened fire at Fort Hunt Road and Alexandria Avenue, an area with residential streets, about 6 miles south of the initial crash scene.
Two Fairfax County police officers responded to the scene but fired no shots, the department said. According to a Fairfax County Police Department dispatch call obtained by News4, Park Police opened fire, and then Ghaisar crashed his SUV as he tried to drive away. He was struck 10 times.
Ghaisar, the only person in the SUV, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He died 10 days later.
In court documents, Officer Alejandro Amaya and Officer Lucas Vinyard said they gave Ghaisar “chance after chance” to stop his vehicle. They said they feared Ghaisar would put them and others in danger.
The FBI conducted an investigation that stretched two years before federal prosecutors declined to bring charges.
Ghaisar's family and some members of Congress faulted the investigation for a lack of transparency and accountability.
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano then charged both officers with involuntary manslaughter, but a federal judge dismissed the case, saying both officers reasonably feared that Amaya could be struck and killed after attempting to stop Ghaisar's Jeep, and it instead lurched forward in the direction of Amaya.
Both officers claimed their status as federal officers granted them immunity from local prosecution, and the judge agreed.
Descano and Virginia’s attorney general at the time, Mark Herring, appealed the ruling, but Herring lost his re-election bid to Attorney General Jason Miyares, who withdrew the appeal.
Ghaisar’s family continued to pursue a civil lawsuit that Park Police are settling now. The agreement still needs to go through a federal judge for approval.
"We are grateful to have reached a mutual resolution to end the litigation and we hope that closing this long chapter brings some comfort to the family," a Justice Department spokesperson said.
The settlement hearing is scheduled for next Friday.
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