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The lawyer for one of two U.S. Park Police officers who shot unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar during a November 2017 traffic stop has told a federal judge that after discussions with prosecutors, the criminal investigation into the Ghaisar shooting will “be resolved” within 20 days.

During a motions hearing in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where Ghaisar’s family has filed a wrongful-death civil case against officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard, Amaya’s attorney, Kobie Flowers, told Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis he has been in discussions with D.C. prosecutors, who have been investigating whether the officers should be charged criminally.

Flowers went to great lengths to not discuss in open court what the case’s resolution would be, but he mentioned the possibility the U.S. government might “intervene” to represent the officers. Since the Department of Justice would be precluded from representing the officers if it was also charging them with crimes, Flowers comments suggest he had reason to believe the officers would be cleared.
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Later Friday, Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said in a statement, “How can Bijan’s family or the people in his community possibly trust in the fair outcome of an investigation, which unfolds in such a manner? A process this bad cannot help but damage citizens’ faith in their government.”