Fairfax County Police Watch: Colchester cop pleads not guilty to DUI

BURLINGTON, Vt. -

Prosecutors say it was an argument outside a Colchester bowling alley sports bar that was the first red flag. An eyewitness allegedly overheard Jeremy Wyskiel, 36, and his girlfriend fighting about the off-duty officer being too drunk to drive.

"This is a crime that affects everybody in the community; everybody drives on the roads. So, this case is a priority and we're going to treat it like any other case," Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan said.

The eyewitness allegedly followed the officer's car north on Route 7, telling police Wyskiel was speeding, swerving and almost went off the road. The six-year veteran of the Colchester Police Department was later arrested on suspicion of DUI, a charge he denied in court Thursday.

"The police did their job here," Donovan said. "Once Colchester Police responded and knew it was one of their own, they called in another department. Vermont State Police came in and did the processing in this case."

Wyskiel told a state police investigator he was stressed at work and reached out for help. On the night in question, he claims, he had a shot of mint schnapps, 2-3 beers before bowling, and another 2-4 beers at the bar before he drove.

"I've just now become aware of some of the allegations," said Brooks McArthur, Wyskiel's lawyer. "I think it's unfortunate. Jeremy is a well-respected officer."

Wyskiel is the second Chittenden County cop McArthur has defended against DUI allegations in the last eight months. Burlington's Deputy Chief, Andi Higbee, took a plea deal, admitting to a lesser charge. He has since retired.

"They have a hard job. They work incredibly long hours. It's a dangerous job," Donovan said.

Wyskiel, a former Coast Guard petty officer, refused field sobriety and preliminary breath tests. But back at the barracks he consented and blew 0.217-- nearly three times the 0.08 legal limit-- 2.5 hours after he had been spotted driving.

The judge released him, but banned him from drinking alcohol or carrying a weapon. He must also undergo alcohol and mental health assessments.

"He's doing everything right here. And that's something we think should happen not only in the interest of Mr. Wyskiel, but in the interest of public safety," Donovan said.

"If there are any issues, he going to address those issues," McArthur said.

Wyskiel remains on administrative leave while his case plays out. Prosecutors say he is legally allowed to drive, pending the outcome of a civil suspension hearing.

The Colchester Police Department is also conducting its own internal personnel investigation.

Morrogh finds cop he doesn’t love. In other news, hell freezes.

Probe of fatal police shooting goes to federal authorities

By Justin Jouvenal/Post

The Fairfax County prosecutor has turned over the investigation of a fatal police shooting of an unarmed Springfield man to federal authorities, citing complications with the five-month-old case.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh said the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia has agreed to continue the probe into the death of 46-year-old John Geer, who was shot during a standoff with Fairfax County police in August. No one has been charged in the incident.

“There is a conflict of interest that has arisen in the case,” Morrogh said Thursday. “And there is a second potential conflict of interest that has arisen out of my office. . . . This is the prudent thing to do.”

Morrogh declined to describe the nature of the conflicts because the investigation is ongoing. The U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday that it could not confirm or deny any investigation or comment on pending investigations.

Police went to Geer’s Pebble Brook Court home on Aug. 29 because of a report of a domestic disturbance. Geer’s father, Don Geer, said his son was upset because his girlfriend, the mother of his two children, had decided to leave him.

John Geer had thrown his girlfriend’s belongings in the front yard. She called police and told them that Geer had a firearm. Police said they tried for about 50 minutes to persuade Geer to leave the home, but he refused.

Don Geer said he watched the climax of the encounter. He said that he could not hear what officers were saying to his son but that he saw him standing with empty hands resting on top of a screen door at the home’s entrance.

At some point, John Geer began to slowly lower his hands and an officer opened fire, hitting Geer in the chest, his father said. Geer retreated inside and closed the door. A SWAT team eventually entered the home and found Geer dead.

Don Geer said detectives later told him that his son did not have a gun on him at the time of the shooting but that there was a holstered handgun a couple of steps from the front door.

Don Geer said it appeared to him that the shooting was unjustified, but he was unsure what to make of the probe being turned over to federal authorities.

“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad — if I had a better idea of why they are doing it, I could form an opinion,” he said.

Geer and friends of his son have been critical of how long the investigation has taken, but Morrogh said police and prosecutors were working to explore all the evidence. He did not think federal prosecutors would have to start from scratch.

“No one wants these things to linger on,” Morrogh said.

Our ink will outlast his career

Under the reign of former Chief of Police Rhorer the Fairfax County Police arrested a man for not wearing clothes in his house while he made coffee, set up an eye doctor on a gambling charge and then used the SWAT team to kill him. An investigation into the charge that the Doctor’s primary clients were cops has never been investigated. The police gunned down an emotionally unstable man because cop who shot him wrongly assumed the man was trying to escape. He wasn’t. The cops also shot dead four other citizens under highly questionable circumstances. The department under Rhorer was sued multiple times by citizens. So did they fire Rhorer? Naw they promoted him. According to news reports Rhorer draws a salary of $191,168 per year as Deputy Fairfax County Executive as well as a concurrent pension from the Fairfax County police of $173000 per year.

Occupation by force

According to the most recent U.S. Census figures, nearly one in five Fairfax residents (17.5 percent) is of Asian descent while Hispanics make up nearly 16 percent of Fairfax’s overall population. Those numbers drop considerably when applied to the Fairfax County Police Department, where only 4.3 percent of officers are Asian and 4.1 percent Hispanic. White officers make up 84 percent of Fairfax County’s 1,360-member police department, significantly higher than the county’s general population (54 percent white). Almost 90% of the force lives outside the county.