The Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney has cleared the Sheriff's deputy in the shooting death of the suspect who held a female employee hostage at the Exxon station on Flagstaff Plaza.
Deputy First Class Brian Sayre, a member of the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team, shot and killed Aleksandrin Yordanov Bozhilov, 30, March 13, after Bozhilov took a female employee hostage and held a pair of scissors to her neck. The shooting occurred after deputies observed blood on the hostage's shirt and injuries to her neck.
In a letter to Sheriff Stephen Simpson, Commonweath's Attorney James Plowman wrote, "I am satisfied that a complete review has been performed by your office and it is obvious to me that not only was the use of deadly force by Deputy Sayre legally justified, it was imminently necessary given all surrounding circumstances."
Sayre, who was placed on routine administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, has been returned to active duty.
Following the findings of the investigation, the Sheriff's Office is ruling the case closed, spokesperson Kraig Troxell said. Investigators had been attempting to learn why Bozhilov acted as he did, but no conclusive reasoning has been reached.
"I don't know if we will ever really know the motivation behind his actions," Troxell said.