Longo Explains Shifflett Shooting

With the state police investigation into the police shooting of Elvis Shifflett wrapped up, Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo is free to explain what happened on that day, as The Hook reports.

An officer saw Shifflett lying sidewise in the cab of a flatbed wrecker and ordered him to show his hands. He sat up and aimed his hands at the officer, as if holding a gun. Believing Shifflett to be armed, the officer shouted a warning to fellow officers, but did not open fire. Shifflett started the truck and jammed down the accelerator so fast that it fishtailed. Another officer then opened fire with his rifle, hitting Shifflett with two rounds from his .223. Another officer shot out one of the wrecker’s tires. It was then that Shifflett was taken into custody.

This no longer sounds to me like a case of police shooting an unarmed man. Sounds to me like Shifflett was driving several tons of weapon, and the officers were acting in prudent self-defense.

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