Police: Off-Duty Officer Accidentally Killed By Fellow Cop
A law enforcement officer is dead and another is in custody on criminal charges following an incident at an apartment complex in Virginia earlier this week.
According to reports, an off-duty U.S. Park Police officer was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly firing a gun that he believed was unloaded.
The Fairfax County Police Department issued a statement citing the preliminary conclusion of detectives that “Alexander Roy, 25, of McLean was attempting to dry fire a firearm,” but the gun was loaded.
A fellow officer, 22-year-old Jesse Brown Hernandez was reportedly shot in the upper body and died from his injuries.
“Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the shooting,” the police statement added.
Three of the four individuals in the apartment at the time of the shooting — shortly after midnight on Sunday — were identified as off-duty Park Police officers.
Prosecutors settled on an involuntary manslaughter charge against the suspect, who was placed in custody without bond later the same day.
Additional details were not included in the initial police report and authorities indicated that an investigation remained underway.
Park Police declined to provide a statement on the specifics of the incident.
While acknowledging that the agency was aware of the case, a spokesperson said: “Our focus right now is on supporting the family, friends and coworkers of our employees involved in this tragic incident.”
Christopher Deane is a resident of the apartment complex and described what he witnessed in the aftermath of the shooting.
“When I saw the number of Fairfax County police here, it was a little unnerving,” he said. “If they can’t have proper gun safety, then what does that say for everybody else?”
Fairfax County Police Department spokesperson Lt. James Curry used the incident to emphasize the dangers associated with the improper use of firearms.
“You don’t play with a gun,” he said. “There are serious consequences when you’re handling a firearm, and alcohol and firearms never mix. Whatever your background is, whatever your familiarity is with a firearm, alcohol and guns just do not mix. You need to make sure that you treat it with respect.”
