A NASA employee who’s been charged in the shooting death of a neighbor in Fairfax County was involved in two deadly shootings as a police officer in Washington state, according to authorities.

City of Bellevue police say 52-year-old Michael Hetle was cleared in connection with both fatal shootings.

Michael Hetle

According to police, Fairfax County police found 24-year-old Javon Prather on Tuesday evening suffering from gunshot wounds when they responded to a reported shooting in the 7700 block of Bedstraw Court around 4:52 p.m.

Emergency personnel tried to save him, but Prather was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prather's mother told FOX 5 that her son was unarmed and checking the mail when Hetle allegedly shot him. She says Hetle shot him "more than once."


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The National Guard confirmed Prather was an infantryman.

Investigators charged Hetle with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

He is being held at the Fairfax County jail without bond.

NASA provided FOX 5 with a statement regarding Hetle:

We can confirm Michael Hetle is a career civil servant who works at NASA Headquarters in Washington in the agency’s Enterprise Protection Program, which provides cross-agency independent risk mitigation assessment of NASA programs and activities. For any additional information, we have to refer you to the Fairfax County Police.