From Fredericksburg Police:
On July 21st, 2023, at 7:49 a.m., the Fredericksburg Police E-911 Center received a report of a male brandishing a knife, physically assaulting an older man, and demanding money from multiple people in the 1600 block of Sunken Road. The E-911 Center dispatched patrol officers to the incident. The initial arriving officer quickly located the offender and ordered him to drop the knife. The offender, later identified as 34-year-old Taylor Lee Drew, ignored the officer’s commands and charged at the officer with the knife. The officer discharged his firearm, striking Drew. Additional officers arrived and immediately rendered life-saving measures to Drew until medics arrived. EMS transported Drew to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Per Fredericksburg Police policy, Chief Layton requested Virginia State Police (VSP) conduct the criminal investigation for the incident to determine whether the officers involved violated any laws. Upon completing their criminal investigation, VSP turned their findings over to Fredericksburg Commonwealth Attorney Elizabeth Humphries.
After thoroughly reviewing VSP’s investigation, Ms. Humphries determined that the officer’s actions were legally justified and within the legal rules stated in Virginia Code Section 19.2-83.5. Ms. Humphries concluded that the officer’s actions are not subject to any criminal prosecution.
After the criminal investigation concluded, Chief Layton requested the Department’s Office of Professional Standards investigate the incident to determine whether the officer’s actions were consistent with department directives. The administrative investigation determined that the officer’s actions did not
violate department directives.
The employee involved in the incident is Officer Gregory Baugher, who has been employed with the Fredericksburg Police Department since 2019. Officer Baugher has returned to the patrol division now that the investigations are complete.
Chief Layton extends his gratitude to the Virginia State Police and the Fredericksburg Commonwealth Attorney for their thorough criminal investigation
