FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – A U.S. Park Police officer was arrested in Virginia after authorities say he shot and killed a fellow officer while drunkenly pulling the trigger on a weapon, thinking it was unloaded at a private residence early Sunday morning.
Alexander Roy, 25, is facing one count of involuntary manslaughter. The deceased man was identified as 22-year-old Jesse Brown Hernandez, officials confirmed.
The Fairfax County Police Department provided the following information in a news release on Sunday:
At 12:20 a.m. this morning, officers responded to the 1700 block of Old Meadow Road in McLean for the report of a shot person. The caller reported an adult man was unintentionally shot inside of an apartment. Jesse Brown Hernandez, 22, of McLean was found deceased with a gunshot wound to the upper body.
Preliminarily, detectives determined Alexander Roy, 25, of McLean was attempting to dry fire a firearm. Dry firing is when one simulates the discharge of a firearm by pulling the trigger of a firearm that is unloaded. Roy unintentionally shot the firearm he believed to be unloaded, fatally striking Hernandez. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the shooting. There were four individuals in the apartment at the time of the shooting. All were known to each other. Three of the four involved individuals were off-duty U.S. Park Police officers. Both the victim and the shooter in this case were off-duty U.S. Park Police officers.
After consulting with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Roy was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter.
Roy was booked at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond.
On Monday, a U.S. Park Police spokesperson told Law&Crime, “We are aware of the incident involving off-duty United States Park Police (USPP) employees at a private residence in Fairfax County. The incident is under investigation by the Fairfax County Police Department and all questions related to this investigation will need to be referred to them. Our focus right now is on supporting the family, friends and coworkers of our employees involved in this tragic incident. USPP has nothing further to share at this time.”
