Man Shot After Fredericksburg Police Stop

chief

(Fredericksburg)-The Fredericksburg Police Department has requested the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Culpeper Field Office to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon (March 22) in the City of Fredericksburg.

The incident began shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday when a Fredericksburg Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on a 1999 Mercury Cougar at the intersection of Lafayette Boulevard and Braehead Drive in the city. The officer identified the adult male driver of the vehicle as a wanted subject on an outstanding warrant. The Mercury stopped for the officer on Braehead Drive.

During the course of the traffic stop, the driver of the Mercury refused to comply with the officer’s commands and an altercation ensued. The driver then put his vehicle in drive, dragging the officer approximately 600 feet before the car crashed into a ditch just short of the intersection of Braehead Drive and Kinloch Drive.

The altercation continued between the male driver and officer. The driver then fled the vehicle on foot. The officer pursued the suspect on foot for a few hundred feet before catching up to the suspect. The suspect again refused to comply with the officer’s commands, an altercation ensued and the officer’s weapon discharged striking the suspect in the leg.

The male driver was transported to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment of serious injury. His name is not being released at this time.

The officer was not injured, but checked by medics as a precautionary measure.

An adult female passenger in the Mercury is being questioned by investigators.

The investigation remains ongoing at this time and as stated earlier has been turned over to the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Culpeper Field Office.

======================================================================

Statement from Chief David Nye, Fredericksburg Police Department:

It is the policy of the Fredericksburg Police Department to conduct an administrative and criminal investigation for every police-involved use of deadly force.

The purpose of the criminal investigation is to determine if any laws were violated and indentify the person(s) responsible for the violation. In the interest of full transparency, Chief Nye has requested the Virginia State Police conduct the criminal investigation for this incident.

The purpose of the administrative investigation is to determine if the officer’s actions were consistent with training and policy and will be handled by the Fredericksburg Police Department’s Professional Standards Section.

It is the policy of the Fredericksburg Police Department to release the officer’s name within 72 hours of the incident unless extenuating circumstances exist.