A circuit court judge Tuesday appointed Fauquier Commonwealth’s Attorney James P. Fisher as special prosecutor in the high-profile case of a Culpeper policeman, who shot and killed a woman Feb. 9.

Authorities have not identified the officer who killed Patricia A. Cook, 54, as she drove her Jeep in the parking lot of church school last Thursday morning.

Jim Fisher: “The reality is that this is a high-profile case, with a lot of media coverage. We’ll approach it in a workmanlike manner, as we do with all of our cases.”

Ultimately, Mr. Fisher will decide whether to purse a criminal case, based on the outcome of a state police investigation.

“The good news is we have a state police force with the resources to track down every lead and interview every witness,” said Mr. Fisher, who learned of the judge’s request Tuesday afternoon.

He had yet to talk with investigators when reached by telephone Wednesday morning.

“I’m gonna reach out to them right now,” the veteran prosecutor said. “I need to get up to speed.”

Mr. Fisher said he will consider the Culpeper Police Department’s policies, including those related to use of deadly force, along with state law in determining how to proceed.

In 14 years as a prosecutor, he has handled cases involving police shootings in Loudoun County and has helped with cases in Prince William, Mr. Fisher said.

Authorities have released little information about the Culpeper shooting and have asked for the public’s patience with the investigation.

“The reality is that this is a high-profile case, with a lot of media coverage,” Mr. Fisher said. “We’ll approach it in a workmanlike manner, as we do with all of our cases.”

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