Tom Jackman

Washington, D.C.

Reporter covering criminal justice locally and nationally

Education: University of Notre Dame, BA in English and American Studies

Tom Jackman has been covering crime and courts for The Washington Post since 1998, after handling similar beats at the Kansas City Star. Jackman helped lead the coverage of the D.C. sniper trials in 2003 and was the lead writer on The Post’s breaking news coverage of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, which won the Pulitzer Prize. More recently he focused on the police killing of an unarmed man in Fairfax County, Va., which ended with the officer convicted of manslaughter and serving jail time. In 2016, Jackman launched the True Crime blog, which looks at criminal justice issues and important c
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Latest from Tom Jackman

Proud Boys saw themselves as ‘Trump’s army,’ U.S. says in trial closings

Closing arguments are underway in the seditious conspiracy trial of five Proud Boys leaders accused of spearheading the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

April 24, 2023

U.S. agrees to $5 million settlement over police killing of Bijan Ghaisar

The deal to settle the family's lawsuit over the 2017 Park Police shooting still must be approved by a judge.

April 21, 2023

Proud Boy who broke Capitol window: ‘I got caught up in all the craziness’

Dominic Pezzola is the last defense witness to testify at the trial of five Proud Boys accused of plotting violence on Jan. 6.

April 19, 2023

Fairfax grand jury declines to indict officer who killed man near Tysons

A grand jury declined to issue an indictment against Wesley Shifflett, who shot a suspected shoplifter while on duty in February, prosecutors said

April 17, 2023

EPA investigator named as new U.S. Park Police chief

Jessica M. Taylor will take over the agency next month.

April 17, 2023

Ex-Capitol Police officer sentenced to home detention in Jan. 6 case

Michael A. Riley was found guilty of deleting his messages with man who was at the Capitol and later arrested

April 13, 2023

Popular handgun fires without anyone pulling the trigger, victims say

More than 80 people, including police officers, allege they were shot by their SIG Sauer P320 pistols. Some have lost work, live in pain after serious injuries.

April 11, 2023

Lawmakers tour D.C. jail to investigate treatment of Jan. 6 defendants

Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability toured the jail in response to complaints from Jan. 6 defendants held there.

March 24, 2023

Va. man who fiercely attacked police in Jan. 6 riot sentenced to 52 months

A judge gave less than half the 108-month sentence recommended by prosecutors for Geoffrey Sills, who fought police with a baton and shined a strobe in their eyes.

March 21, 2023

The Jan. 6 investigation is the biggest in U.S. history. It’s only half done.

To date, roughly 1,000 people have been charged for their alleged roles in the events of that day. The total could grow above 2,000, straining the court.

March 18, 2023