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Police seek Shifflett’s older brother

by Hawes Spencer
published 5:23pm Monday Oct 23, 2006
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Authorities want another Shifflett, a man police believe may want to exact revenge against law enforcement officers for shooting his little brother. The City Police Chief said today that officers now seek 5′9″, 235-pound Jeffrey Wayne Shifflett, the older brother of recovering would-be girlfriend shooter Elvis Gene Shifflett.

Wanted on burglary and grand larceny charges in Madison County and suspected of the same in Charlottesville, 39-year-old Jeffrey Shifflett should be considered armed and dangerous because unspecified “intelligence” indicated a threat to “law enforcement,” according to City Police Chief Tim Longo.

The younger Shifflett was arrested following his shooting by two Charlottesville police officers Friday night, Police Chief Longo said today at a City Hall press conference. Longo declined to be more specific and refused to say whether Shifflett was shot with an M16, deferring to the Virginia State Police investigation. He also declined to name the two officers who shot Elvis Shifflett out of concerns for the officers’ safety.

The trouble began on October 13 when Elvis Shifflett allegedly intended to shoot his long-time girlfriend after she emerged from juvenile and domestic relations court in downtown Charlottesville. According to Longo, the unnamed girlfriend saved herself by getting the “webbing” of her hand between the handgun’s hammer and the firing pin of the weapon. Captain Chip Harding of the Charlottesville P.D. added that the girlfriend was then able to bump her alleged assailant with her car and escape. But so did Elvis Shifflett.

State and local police caught up with Shifflett in a densely wooded area adjacent to Piedmont Virginia Community College on Friday, October 20. Longo says Shifflett abandoned one vehicle and left behind an SKS, a Russian semiautomatic rifle, along with up to 40 rounds of ammunition.

At the time he was felled by the officers, Elvis Shifflett was not armed with anything other than a pickup truck. Longo expressed his opinion that Shifflett posed a threat not only to the officers but also to members of the public, two factors that might exonerate his officers, both of whom have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

As for the elder brother, Longo said, “We want very much to take Mr. Shifflett into custody in a very safe and uneventful fashion, but at the same time we take these threats seriously.”

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32 comments

  • wert October 23rd, 2006 | 8:55 pm

    When will people ever learn “Wayne” is the worst possible middle name for a boy in the last 100 years. It just an invitation to a criminal career.

  • Jennie Hamilton-Thorne October 24th, 2006 | 12:51 pm

    Why is Tim Longo’s name appearing under the mug shot of the man sought by police?

    Is the Chief going to report soon as to the reasons why excessive force was used by his 50 of his men in the recent shooting of Elvis Gene Shifflett, brother of the man now sort?

    I trust The Hook to keep me informed with unbiased reporting to its usual high standards. (Please do not use my email address.)
    thanks.
    Jennie Hamilton-Thorne.

  • cvillenews.com » Blog Archive » Elvis Shifflett in Critical Condition October 24th, 2006 | 12:59 pm

    [...] In the Progress, Rob Seal reports that Shifflett has a heck of a rap sheet, going back two decades, including felony convictions. And the Hook reports that it runs in the family: Shifflett’s brother, Jeffrey Wayne Shifflett, is wanted by police for a string of burglaries and for threatening the lives of police officers in his brother’s case. Police are sufficiently concerned about the threat that they’re not releasing the names of the officers involved in the shooting. He is considered armed and dangerous. [...]

  • Robert Peel October 24th, 2006 | 7:52 pm

    Jennie, Chief Longo did not have 50 of his officers out there. There were officers from several agencies. And they did not use excessive force, as the State Police are still investigating. Wait for all the facts until making judgements about “excessive force”

  • Christina October 24th, 2006 | 9:40 pm

    I would like to know who is giving the police the information that Jeffrey has been making threats to the police, (that’s
    just hear say). I’m sure the police didn’t actually hear Jeffrey making threats to them.

  • Redbone Coonhound October 25th, 2006 | 8:32 am

    Christina - why do you think releasing the name of an informant is a good idea? Don’t you think that it would put that person at risk? Also, why are you sure that the threats are unfounded?

  • A.J October 25th, 2006 | 8:36 am

    Over 50+ armed men, helicopters, dogs, ATVs, all for a man that just threatened someone with a gun? That seems a bit overdone to me. And I still don’t see how they can justify shooting him that many times when he was unarmed.

  • CinematicCteve October 25th, 2006 | 10:14 am

    Because it gives a thrill to Nazi fools like Robert Peel, who will soon be outed..

  • Say what? October 25th, 2006 | 4:07 pm

    An outing? Do tell.

  • Steve October 26th, 2006 | 8:26 pm

    (quote Robert Peel) >> “And they did not use excessive force, as the State Police are still investigating. Wait for all the facts until making judgements about “excessive force”

    They did not use excessive force? Isn’t that a judgement? And you’re telling other people to wait for the facts? :)

  • Steve October 26th, 2006 | 8:33 pm

    (quote A. J.) “Over 50+ armed men, helicopters, dogs, ATVs, all for a man that just threatened someone with a gun? That seems a bit overdone to me.
    And I still don’t see how they can justify shooting him that many times when he was unarmed.”

    It’s 2006. The police do as they please. You have no constitutional rights when being pursued or stopped by police any longer. And it will remain this way until the entire community develops the backbone to challenge them in each and every case of wrongdoing.

    There is nobody to police the police today.

  • Shifflett October 26th, 2006 | 10:46 pm

    Steve, I agree with you & the Shifflett family is ready & willing to challenge the police with wrongdoing. We have a loved one that has been laying in UVA since Friday that we can’t talk to, hug, or see. You know what’s even sadder, the ones that put him there are now standing over top of him. WE HAVE RIGHTS TOO….. Even when someone is locked up the family gets to visit.
    Also would you know it, Jeff wasn’t as bad as they made him out to me. He went pretty easy didn’t he? Although he did make them follow him to his sisters so he could tell his mother that he was okay & that he LOVED her so she didn’t have to see him on get caught on TV too. (Good thing they might would have done him the same way they did Elvis)
    Elvis & Jeff aren’t bad poeple just made bad choices. Listen to a little George Jones ….song …..”Choices”

  • Christina October 27th, 2006 | 7:10 pm

    Redbone Coonhound, The point that I was getting @ is that Jeffery really never made threats
    to the Police that it was just hear say. No one other than the police ever heard of these
    threats. If Jeffery was so ARMED AND DANGEROUS why wasn’t he ARMED AND DANGEROUS
    when he went to his sister’s house to surrender, he wanted to make sure that the police did
    not do him the same way that they did to Elvis. From what I’ve heard Jeffery had nothing to
    lose anyway, because he was told by police when he got out of jail in 2004 that if he messed
    up at all he will be pulling 55 years. So what was stopping him from killing the police if he
    wanted to. Why? Because he wasn’t dangerous at all, it’s not in his nature. He just had a bad
    habit of taking what wasn’t his. He grew up with nothing but as he got older found he wanted
    it all and then some.

  • Austin October 27th, 2006 | 8:23 pm

    Mama Shifflett must be so proud!

  • Christina October 27th, 2006 | 8:37 pm

    Mama Shifflett is very disappointed in what her son Jeffery has done as far as what he has been accused of. In her eyes Jeff is very a good hearted boy who had a just made bad “Choices” as Shifflett stated maybe we all should listen to a little of George Jones’ song “Choices”. I’m sure none of you are PERFECT or come from a PERFECT FAMILY, I know that I’m not ashamed to say that I’m not PERFECT nor do come from a PERFECT FAMILY.

  • Hot 1 October 27th, 2006 | 9:29 pm

    Wert, My father’s name is Wayne and you couldn’t ask for a nicer man. I don’t know where you’re getting this stupid stuff from. A name has nothing to do with how a person is going to out to be.

  • Shifflett October 27th, 2006 | 10:58 pm

    Hey Austin, I would like to meet you because I have never met someone PERFECT. So I guess you’ve always done as your mother told you to, HUH.
    Mother’s only raise their children, they don’t live their lives for them……..
    You JERK!!!!!!
    Where I come from “THE SHIFFLETT FAMILY” we LOVE, STAND BY, SUPPORT eachother thru good & bad. That doesn’t mean that we’re always PROUD of each decision that they make.

  • Shifflett October 27th, 2006 | 11:57 pm

    For all to know,
    Just want to give you a update on Elvis. READ CAREFULLY then you decide if you think it’s fair to him (an unarmed man) and his family.
    Elvis is not in fair condition he’s in serious condition as of today he still has a 50/50 chance. He can not move his legs, his lungs are not doing good so therefore he’s still on life support, he can’t use his mouth so he has a feeding tube & has 2 blood clots near his spine that can be very dangerous.
    The family still can’t see him. His 73 year old mother sits @ home waiting for the next phone call with an update on HER SON.
    If this was your child how would you feel?
    It doesn’t matter what a child does good or bad a mother still loves them. It’s bad enough that the POLICE shot an UNARMED man but to still put the FAMILY thru the pain of not knowing what’s going on until you get a phone call, not being able to be there to hold his hand and tell him it’s going to be okay. You readers have no idea the pain that this amily is going thru.

    OH YEAH BY THE WAY JEFFERY TO WAS UNARMED, SORRY TO MAKE THE POLICE LOOK BAD ONCE MORE. I’M BEGINNING TO THINK THEY HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST THE NAME SHIFFLETT…….

  • Hot 1 October 28th, 2006 | 9:12 am

    Shifftlett, I’m sorry that Elivs is in “SERIOUS” condition my family and I will continue to pray for him. I really don’t see what he really did was that wrong. In a domestic dispute there are always two sides to a story and no one has a chance to listen to Elvis’ side. True I don’t think that he should have pulled a gun on his ex-girlfriend but he didn’t shoot her. As far as her putting her hand on the hammer that saved her life well I belive that is B.S. I know that if someone was going to try to kill me I would be getting out of dodge, not worrying about trying to stop that bullet. I to am glad that Jeffery surrendered the way that he did, because the Shifflett family has already been through enough pain this past week. I too feel that AUSTIN is as you say “A JERK”, a mother wants to raise her children to do right but sometimes that is not always the case. Like Christina stated, not everyone is “PERFECT” well Austin does seem to be an exception to that he must be that only one in the world.

  • Sweet Pea October 28th, 2006 | 10:44 am

    IF THE SHOES HAD BEEN ON THE OTHER FOOT, THE SHIFFLETT FAMILY WOULD BE SAD FOR THE OFFICERS FAMILY. “NOT HAPPY”
    ALL WE ASK FROM THE COMMUNITY IS TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND UNTIL ALL THE FACTS COME OUT. WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE KEEP THIS FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYS.
    FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD ELVIS COMES FROM A VERY LARGE FAMILY & EACH & EVERYONE OF THEM ARE FEELING THIS PAIN.
    I DO AGREE WITH “SHIFFLETT”, WHAT WOULD IT HURT TO LET HIS FAMILY SEE HIM?
    THIS COULD HELP ELVIS RECOVER FASTER, BY HAVING THE SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY AROUND HIM.

  • Steve October 29th, 2006 | 10:58 am

    quote Shifflett — “I’M BEGINNING TO THINK THEY HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST THE NAME SHIFFLETT…….”

    Of course they do. One particular Shifflett, a sworn deputy sheriff in Virginia for almost 30 years whether they like it or not, has been suing the city and county police for repeated wrongdoing for the last decade. The first $750,000 lawsuit filed in 1997 was settled out of court as soon as the judge set a firm jury trial date to hear the claims against a county police rookie and his sergeant (the sergeant was later fired). More recently he has sued a city sheriff’s captain for $4 million (a/k/a the son of a former sheriff). The jury trial is still pending. And just this past week, after being non-suited prior to depositions, a Charlottesville Police sergeant is once again being sued for $4 million as well (the same sergeant who led his own department on a high speed pursuit while off duty one evening.) The lawsuit should be in the clerk’s office by now, and the City Sheriff should be serving them on the sergeant shortly.

    Yeah, they most certainly don’t like the name SHIFFLETT!

  • Shifflett October 29th, 2006 | 10:03 pm

    I would love to know what ticket’s that Sergeant got.

  • Steve October 30th, 2006 | 11:26 am

    He was whisked away from the scene of the traffic crash by his fellow employees once they realized who they were chasing. If the Virginia state trooper had gotten there 5 minutes sooner he would probably have been charged with eluding police, reckless driving and driving under the influence.

    This is the same person who now supervises others. What a joke!

  • Shifflett October 30th, 2006 | 7:54 pm

    GET REAL,
    Elvis was shoot like a dog & this man got help for doing the same thing. What’s wrong with this picture. Elvis is sitting in ICU fighting for his life, can’t even talk, can’t eat, can’t feel his own legs. NO ONE knows how we feel. They don’t look @ it that he had a mother, father, 4kids, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, aunts & uncles. THAT LOVES & MISSES HIM. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL HIM HE’LL BE OKAY, WE LOVE Him
    HE WAS A MAN NOT A DOG!!!!!!!!
    Yes, he should not have ran but HE DID, that did not give them the right to shoot an ….UNARMED MAN…….
    I’m sorry I have tried and look @ it in all different ways & I keep coming back to this was not fair.

  • Brownie October 31st, 2006 | 2:12 pm

    I am so sorry for your family and hope that E.S. will pull through. I can only imagine how they must feel. And for the comment that Austin made ”Mama Shifflett must be proud”. When your children are small you always have big dreams for them, but then they grow up and you have no control over the choices they make good or bad. Proud no! Loves them yes. No matter how everyone feels about E.S.and J.S. they still have a family that loves them.

  • Shifflett October 31st, 2006 | 3:07 pm

    Thanks, that means a lot to the Shifflett Family!!!!!!

  • Hot 1 October 31st, 2006 | 3:22 pm

    I have to totally agree with Shifflett and Brownie on this one. I have 2 small children of my own, I’m teaching them right from wrong but when they do get older that’s totally out of my hands on how they will behave. No one in this world is perfect, we all make mistakes and the beauty of this is we can learn from our mistakes. True J.S. did not learn from his mistakes when he got out of jail in 2004 he continued his bad habits. Should his family love or think any less of him for this, NO. True E.S. should not have put a gun to his ex-girlfriend’s head, but he did and now is fighting for his life for this mistake that he has made. Should the family suffer from this? No. I think that this family as gone through enough. I don’t see the harm in letting the family of this man beable to see him. What could it hurt? As Sweet Pea stated it may help in his recovery and I too do believe that. My family and I will continue to pray for E.S. to recovery from his injuries,and that he will soon be able to see his family, that clearly love him with all their hearts. This is a lucky man to have a family that loves and thinks so much of him. We could learn alot from the Shifflett family. This is how a family should be. GOOD LUCK!!!

  • Shifflett October 31st, 2006 | 3:49 pm

    Thanks to you too Hot1.
    The Shifflett Family wants to take this time to Thank each & everyone of you that have
    wrote of kind words. Until you are in our shoe’s no one knows how they would feel. Although you know what they both did was wrong you still love them. Thanks Again, THE SHIFFLETT’S

  • billy shifflett November 2nd, 2006 | 10:08 pm

    Elvis Shifflett is thirty-eight years old. He is a son, a father, a brother, an uncle, and a friend to almost all who knows him. He loves animals, Nascar, music, and restoring antique automobiles (which he did not sell to support a “habit.”)
    This letter is not being wrote to dispute Elvis Shiffletts alleged charges but; instead to defend his character. Elvis had been portrayed to be a horrible person and if I didn’t know him it would probably be easy for me to judge him based on what I hear and read. But I do know him. Not only is he my uncle, he is also one of my closest friends. He is the man I could call in the middle of the night if I had car trouble and the man who would give me his last dollar if he thought I needed it.
    Elvis surpassed everybody’s expectations when he overcame a troubled past and tried not to become a statistic. He had a very successful business, raised four beautiful and intelligent children and built a home for them from the ground up. What happened? Imagine your life slowly falling apart. Imagine watching everything you worked so hard for slowly slipping away. The family is not blaming anybody for this but should the public judge this man based on hearsay. Until you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, should you judge them at all? All of us have made bad choices in life, some worse than others, but that does not make us evil. Making one bad decision can change anybody’s life and unfortunately, you can’t just erase a mistake. Was Elvis a danger to the public or to the law enforcement officers- NO He was a scared man who felt that he had lost everything. And why shouldn’t he …… his picture was all over the media -armed and dangerous. Not just him, but his brother, whose cases are not even related.
    I would imagine that the police chase was terrifying to Elvis but he still showed concern for his passenger and instructed her to follow police procedure.
    As for the comments being made about Shiffletts in general, it takes an ignorant person to judge people based on their last name. Many people perceive us as “poor white trash.” I am a hard-working man who had never been in trouble with the law. I own my home (no, it is not on wheels); have excellent credit, and a beautiful daughter. Most of my family led a similar life.
    My daughter has spent several evenings making her Uncle Elvis Get Well Soon cards that he will probably never receive. Why, because I believe, the family is being treated unjustly. We have to get our updates on Elvis’ condition from the news. Imagine worrying all day at work…planning your day around the news broadcast to find out the condition of your loved one. How would you feel waking up in the morning and turning the TV on to find out if your uncle survived the night? And then wondering, what exactly does serious condition mean?
    Despite the critism that the name is facing, I am proud to be a Shifflett. I have a wonderful and loving family that will continue to support each other through out this ordeal.
    I am not asking for sympathy from the public. I just ask that you not judge him or his family so harshly until you know all the facts.
    My love and prayers are with Elvis and I will continue to stand by him. To me, that is the definition of a FAMILY.
    Billy Shifflett

  • Dave McNair November 6th, 2006 | 3:16 pm

    To the various Shiffletts here and others who seem to know Elvis Shifflett….

    How is Elvis doing? Any word from the hospital? I’d also like to talk to any of you on the record or off about what hapened. There are many unanswered questions I think the public should know. Please feel free to call me at 295-8700, ext 231 or e-mail me at if you have any information.

    Dave McNair
    The Hook

  • Steve November 7th, 2006 | 9:54 am

    (quote — ” There are many unanswered questions I think the public should know. Please feel free to call me at 295-8700, ext 231 or e-mail me at if you have any information.
    Dave McNair
    The Hook” )

    I think it’s only fair to give the police time to get all their lies straight first. :)

  • Brownie November 10th, 2006 | 10:13 pm

    Steve: I would loved to have been a fly on the wall the evening Elvis was shot. I wonder if these officers were questioned one on one (just like if it had been people like you and me)or they both stood there corrected each other’s story.
    You would think by now someone would had made a statement on what the reason for shooting him, and if they felt they had a reason why so many times? I am interesting to know if he was shot inside the truck, my feelings are that he was since he was shot in the neck. If so why were more shots fired after he was out of truck? These are just questions and trying to put oieces together on that day. I don’t know the lady that was with him that day, but I really believed it when she said he was UNARMED. She would not have went on t.v to say that if it wasn’t true and I really feel that alot of the law enforcemens believed her too. You would think by now that the family would be able to see him. Then you can wonder if they are keeping Elvis from telling the family his side of the story. I have to agree with you that they are rehursing their story for the public.

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