ABINGDON, Va. (AP) - After months of requests, the attorney representing the family of a southwest Virginia man fatally shot by police has been shown video footage of the incident.
Attorney John Fishwick is representing the family of Phillip Cameron Gibson II, who was fatally shot by deputies after a 2018 chase in Washington County. Fishwick told The Bristol Herald Courier Friday he had reviewed the video at the sheriff’s office but declined further comment.
Neither Fishwick nor the family would describe the video or say what they planned to do moving forward.
Gibson was killed by deputies in May 2018 following a chase that ended in Glade Spring. Virginia State Police investigated and the Washington County commonwealth’s attorney cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.
The newspaper has covered how Gibson’s family has been pushing for additional information. Authorities previously denied requests from the family and the newspaper filed under the state’s public records law for the video.
It was only after a new sheriff was elected that their request was granted.
Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, told the Herald Courier showing the attorneys, and not the public, the video is “selective transparency, but it is also allowed under FOIA.”
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