In Uniform at Target. Off Duty at the Next One.

A police officer allegedly shoplifted at a Target self-checkout while in uniform and on duty.

That is a lot of irony to bring through the front door.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the officer was at a Target in Burke, Virginia, on September 22, 2026. Police say he used a less expensive item to cover another item’s barcode, paid for one item and left with both.

The department doesn’t say what either item was or how much it cost. So we have the mechanics of the alleged transaction, but not the one detail that would let us appreciate the full scale of this decision.

And yes, he was wearing his police uniform. The self-checkout screen may not care who you are, but it’s hard to imagine a more conspicuous outfit for this particular allegation.

Then came another Target.

Loss-prevention staff reported a similar incident involving the officer at a Springfield location later that same day. He was off duty by then. The police release gives less detail about what happened at that store, so there’s no reason to assume the exact same barcode maneuver was used. Two Targets in one day is enough to work with.

Police responded to the Burke store’s report on September 23. Detectives charged the officer with two misdemeanor counts of shoplifting on October 8, and he was released on two criminal summonses. The department says he was placed on administrative leave while the criminal and internal investigations continued. These are allegations, not convictions, and the release does not report a final outcome.

It also doesn’t give a motive. Good. I’m not going to invent one when the documented sequence is already sitting right there: on duty, in uniform, at one Target, then off duty at another Target later the same day.

The merchandise remains unidentified. The outfit at the first store does not.

Sources

• FCPD Officer Charged with Shoplifting (2026-10-09)

Information checked: October 13, 2026.