Arlington police expect to release footage of a fatal officer-involved shooting by Friday after sharp remarks from County Board members over the weekend.
Police Chief Andy Penn on Tuesday (Oct. 20) told County Board members that plans to release body-worn camera footage of the May 8 incident are in their final stages. Police also intend to seek public comment on a policy that will guide the handling of such incidents in the future.
“The goal has been to provide a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of all that transpired,” Penn told Board members. “Barring any unforeseen issues, I expect to release the video at the end of the week.”
County Board members in late September said they wanted to have footage publicly released by Oct. 16. That deadline came and went, leading to criticism from Board members at their Oct. 17 meeting.
At the Oct. 20 session, the mood was less hostile, but Board members were insistent the footage be available as soon as possible.
“Getting this done this week … is a burning priority, it is a top priority,” Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said.
Shawn Valn, 33, was shot and killed by police during a May 8 incident at a 7-Eleven store at 3602 Columbia Pike. According to police, Valn brandished a knife during a standoff with officers.
The county government currently does not have a comprehensive policy guiding release of footage from body-worn cameras.
“Our current policy is it’s basically up to me in collaboration with the commonwealth’s attorney,” Penn said.
A draft policy has been crafted to provide expectations for any future incidents like this.
“We’ve worked hard to come up with more direct milestones, criteria we can point to guide us in the future,” Penn said. “I think we have a pretty good draft.”
Questioned on the timing by Board member Julius “JD” Spain, Sr., Penn said he anticipated making the draft public in “the next couple of weeks.”
Three times during his brief appearance before Board members on Oct. 20, Penn said it was not his intent to make excuses for the five-month lag in making the incident footage available.
But he did offer reasons, including, in recent weeks, the department’s preparations for handling the Army 10-Miler, Marine Corps Marathon, Halloween and Election Day.
He added that the department was working with a contractor on getting the video ready, which had added to the complexities involved.
“I have been, and will continue to be, committed to … being transparent,” Penn said, while acknowledging that “we can do better.”
“We have spent a significant amount of time looking at our policy and how to make meaningful change,” he said.
