Days before leaving office, Youngkin went further, granting Shifflett a full pardon on Jan. 15. Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin pardoned ex-police officer Wesley Shifflett, clearing his conviction for reckless firearm use in a 2023 shooting.https://t.co/rlt0RCL1bl — WanderinWoodsman🗺🌐🇺🇸🥋in support of 🇦🇫🇺🇦 (@WanderNWoodsman) January 28, 2026“The deadly force used by Sgt. Wesley Gonzalez Shifflett on February 22, 2023, was both lawful and consistent with the department’s policy and training,” Youngkin wrote. Prosecutors argued the shooting escalated immediately and unnecessarily, especially given that Johnson was unarmed and fleeing. Yet, the outcome reinforced a familiar pattern: a Black man killed during a low-level accusation, accountability briefly imposed, then swiftly erased.