Sources: Ex-officer Adam Torres pleads guilty in shooting death of John Geer
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP/ABC7) — Ex-Fairfax County police officer Adam Torres has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the shooting death of John Geerwith a sentence of one year in jail, according to sources.
Sources say Torres' attorney handed the judge the guilty plea form Monday.
According to ABC7 News reporter Jeff Goldberg, Torres, answering questions from the judge, says the decision to plead guilty was his decision alone.
Goldberg reports that Ray Morrogh, a prosecutor in the case, told him that Geer's former wife wanted the plea deal because she did not want to testify and did not want their daughter testifying.
"It is just and right to enter into this plea agreement with Adam Torres," Morrogh says. According to Goldberg, Geer's father Don also supports the plea deal.
In an apology in Court, Torres said he is heartbroken for Geer's two daughters and says he is truly sorry for his actions.
On Monday Geer's daughters made a statement saying, "Whatever his faults, Torres' wife and children did not murder our father, and it would be wrong to hurt them just to allay our own anger and pain."
Torres, who shot and killed Geer after being called to a domestic dispute nearly three years ago, had his trial scheduled to begin Monday.
Prosecutors say Torres was angry over the breakup of his marriage and unfit for duty after fighting with his wife when he was called to Geer's home. He's accused of shooting Geer after a 40-minute standoff in which Geer had his hands up.
Torres said he thought Geer was dropping his hands and might be reaching for a nearby handgun.
The long delay in bringing charges against Torres prompted accusations that the county was stonewalling prosecutors' investigation.
This story has been updated
