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Newport News Police arrest former police officer who threatened suicide by cop

Posted at 5:33 PM, Apr 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-28 17:50:08-04

Nicholas A. Christopher was charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Police arrested a man who had threatened suicide by cop in March while wearing a police ballistics vest and carrying guns. He was subsequently shot by police.

Nicholas Christopher was arrested in the 100 block of Emancipation Drive around 3:45 p.m. Thursday.

Christopher had been found by police wandering around his apartment complex in the 300 block of St. Thomas Drive, and was threatening ‘suicide by cop’ on March 30.

He was wearing a ballistic vest with the word “POLICE” and was armed with an AR-15 rifle and a handgun.

Police said they fired one shot into Christopher’s lower abdomen, after he refused to drop the weapons.

Christopher was charged with brandishing a firearm, having oversized magazines and felony assault on a law enforcement officer.

Christopher was formerly a police officer for Hampton University.

Read more: NewsChannel 3 was the only station to identify Christopher back when the incident occurred

Original incident: Officer-involved shooting under investigation in Newport News