Unarmed man killed by police as he stood in his doorway, no investigation, no criminal charges...

© via Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post

Protesters in Fairfax, VA on Thursday 1/22/15

Protesters calling for Justice for John Geer recently demonstrated outside the police department in the Massey building on Thursday in Fairfax, Virginia... Most of the protesters did not know Geer, but they said it was important for everyday citizens to take a stand against injustice and demand police accountability now!

"I feel like I could be next," Keith Harmon of Mount Vernon said. He was spotted holding a sign reading: "Q: Who investigates Fairfax Police? A: Themselves. FBI. No one."

Harmon explained that his neighbor "could well call the police, say I'm a madman with a gun, and the cops may show up and kill me."

That's about right...

It's been nearly 17 months since John Geer bleed to death after being shot in his doorway by a Fairfax County Police Officer on August 29, 2013. Geer had been standing, unarmed, with his hands his head on the doorframe, speaking with police officers for 50 minutes when one of them inexplicably fired one shot into his chest. When the SWAT team pushed into his house with an MRAP an hour later, John Geer was lying behind the door, dead.

It's important to note that Geer committed no crime. The entire incident started when Geer's partner, Maura Harrington, called the police to report that John was throwing her belongings out of the house. He'd become distraught after learning she was moving out and ending their relationship after 24 years. Harrington, one of Geer's two teenage daughters, his father, and his best friend were all on site, watching as the unbelievable tragedy unfolded before them. They have watched and waited for nearly 17 months as the Fairfax County Police Department and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have stonewalled all attempts to get even basic information regarding what happened that day.

Now they are finally closer to getting some answers. On Monday, December 22nd, the Fairfax County judge presiding over the civil lawsuit filed by John Geer's family, has given the Fairfax County Police Department 30 days to release"Documents related to the shooting of John Geer," "Videos and other recordings of statements" and "Documents reflecting the identity and location of all FCPD officers at the incident."

Pressure has also been mounting from the community, with the formation of the Justice for John Geer Facebook group and a planned protest on January 8th at police headquarters and county courthouse. The group was formed by members of Northern Virginia Cop Block, an offshoot of Nathan Cox's Virginia Cop Block. Mike Curtis, founder of Northern Virginia Cop Block and spokesperson for Justice for John Geer, called for more action during a televised interview on Monday night: "While the judge's order is a step in the right direction, a court order does not equate to transparency and while we may soon know the name of the officer who shot this unarmed and law abiding father of two, we all know how unlikely justice is to come from agents of the state investigating themselves. We need to demand civilian oversight and independent investigators at the least."

You can find the facebook group online, and the event for the next protest as well.

Chomsky: We Are All – Fill in the Blank.

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