RSSVictim's family calls shooting 'senseless'
Police spokesman says no gun found in car of man shot after police pursuit
Fairfax County Police have acknowledged that a Fredericksburg man who was killed in the Huntington area by a police officer during a traffic stop last Friday did not have a gun. His family released a statement calling his death "senseless."
An officer shot David Alan Masters, 52, in the upper body after he pulled his vehicle over following a police pursuit, said police spokesman Bud Walker Tuesday.
Police followed him by car after the report of a larceny in progress at a business in the 8800 block of Route 1 shortly after 1 p.m. Friday. The man fled the scene in a green Chevrolet Blazer before police arrived, but an officer spotted the car near Route 1 and Shields Avenue in the Fairfax County portion of Alexandria, police said. He did not pull over until heavy traffic forced him to stop.
"We do not conclusively know at this time if he exited the vehicle," said Walker.
The Blazer continued a short distance until it struck another vehicle near Richmond Highway and Fort Hunt Road. The driver of that vehicle did not suffer any serious injuries, police said.
Police said they immediately began CPR on Masters after he was shot and waited for an ambulance to arrive. He was taken to Inova Mount Vernon Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.
Several officers responded to the scene. Three officers directly involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave pending the results of parallel criminal and administrative investigations by Internal Affairs, police said.
On Wednesday, police said in a release that all three of the officers have been interviewed as part of the criminal investigation. Two officers spoke to investigators on Friday and the third was interviewed Tuesday.
Two of the officers have returned to normal duties. The third officer will be on restricted or administrative duties when he returns to work next week.
The release also acknowledges that preliminary investigative results indicate no gun was found inside Masters' car.
Masters' family released the following statement Tuesday through Manassas attorney Jon E. Shields:
"The parents and family of David Alan Masters were saddened to learn of David's tragic death on Friday, November 13, 2009 in Fairfax County, Virginia. David was a veteran of the United States Army, and had been self employed as a cabinet maker until 2007, when he suffered an injury which prevented him from working. David suffered a heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery earlier this year. In addition to his recent physical challenges, David was plagued most of his adult life with episodes of mania and depression arising out of his diagnosed bi-polar disorder.
David is survived by his father, a retired United States Army Colonel, of Longview, Florida, his mother and sister of Manassas, Virginia, a brother in Providence, Rhode Island, a sister in Atlanta, Georgia, a former wife and step-daughter of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and numerous nephews and nieces in Northern Virginia.
The family is not currently in a position to comment on the actions of the police officers involved in David's death. We cannot form any judgment based upon ignorance of the facts. However, at this point, our family has not been provided with any information from which we can conclude that David engaged in any conduct which would justify the use of deadly force against him. The family will patiently await the results of the homicide and Internal Affairs investigations being conducted by the Fairfax County Police, and the Medical Examiner's Office before forming any conclusions concerning the circumstances of David's senseless death."