Fairfax
County police fatally shot 26-year-old Jasper Aaron Lynch inside a McLean,
Virginia residence.
"We
have a family member here who was having a bit of a psychotic break," the
caller says. "He's here now. He's throwing some stuff right now, so if we
can get a dispatch that would be really helpful."
So the
cops went over to the address and shot the kid to death.
In one
hand, Lynch can be seen holding a wine bottle, and in the other hand is a
tribal mask.
Officers
can be heard repeatedly telling Lynch to put the objects down. "It's
alright, bud," one says.
Lynch
disregards the demands and throws the mask at the officers and then runs after
them swinging a bottle.
So they
killed him.
"Our
son, Aaron, was experiencing a severe mental health crisis on July 7. He was
scared and asked for both of the 911 calls that were made that day. We believe
that the three police officers who answered the second 911 call could have, and
should have, handled this far differently," the statement reads. "To
respond to Aaron’s mental health crisis by shooting him at all, let alone
multiple times, cannot be justified. We recognize that, at times, police
officers face grave and unknown dangers in the line of duty, but that was not
the case for that call at our home regarding our son. Aaron was about 5’
6", slightly built, and holding just a bottle and a decorative mask.
"As
parents, we mourn the heartbreaking loss of our son and are left with only
memories and regret. Had we known there was any possibility that the police
responding to the second 911 call would use lethal force against Aaron during a
mental health crisis, we would not have involved them until a mental health
counselor could be present, as was the case for the response to the first 911
call. We hope our efforts to find out more about this incident will, in the
future, help families in similar situations avoid such a tragic outcome."
The
officer who shot Lynch has been identified as First Class Edward George. He has
been placed on administrative status.
