RICHMOND — On Friday, a former Fairfax County police officer was sentenced to three years in prison for killing a man in 2023 who'd stolen a pair of sunglasses from a mall.

Two days later, Gov. Glenn Youngkin commuted the sentenced of Wesley Shifflett, 36, a former sergeant with the Fairfax County Police Department.

“I am convinced that the court's sentence of incarceration is unjust and violates the cornerstone of our justice system—that similarly situated individuals receive proportionate sentences. I want to emphasize that a jury acquitted Sgt. Shifflett of the more serious charge of involuntary manslaughter, a conviction for which the sentencing guidelines recommend no jail time or up to six months’ incarceration," Youngkin said Sunday in a press release.

The governor, who said Shifflett "was, by all accounts, an exemplary officer," ordered that he be released immediately.

According to Fairfax County, officers at the Tysons Corner Center Mall pursued Timothy Johnson, 37, on foot in February 2023 after allegations he'd stolen a pair of sunglasses. Body-worn camera footage showed a pursuit into a wooded area near the mall, where Johnson was shot and killed.

On Friday, following Shifflett's sentence, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said, "Trust in policing is essential to community safety. When tragedies like this occur, trust can only be repaired by seeking accountability through the justice system, and failing to do so would make the work of our police force - who are as dedicated to community safety as I am - that much harder."