Statement of U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner & Tim Kaine & U.S. Rep. Don Beyer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Representative Don Beyer (all D-VA) released the statement below following the release of a report by the Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General on the use of deadly force by U.S. Park Police officers against Bijan Ghaisar.

"The death of Bijan Ghaisar remains a great tragedy. Despite the OIG's findings that the officers who killed Bijan Ghaisar did not seemingly violate written U.S. Park Police policy and procedure in place at the time, it's clear this incident should never have occurred. U.S. Park Police policy at the time of Bijan's killing was outdated and inconsistent with the goal of safeguarding lives. This report - which we first requested more than two years ago - underscores that these officers' actions would not have been acceptable under the DOI guidelines that govern vehicular pursuits today. As we approach the seven-year anniversary of Bijan's death, we will continue to urge DOI to put policies in place to ensure that investigations around use of force incidents are handled with greater urgency and transparency."

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