NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Charges were certified to a grand jury Monday against two men in connection with a double homicide and officer-involved shooting.
Laratio Dantzler is charged with two counts of first degree murder, two counts of use of firearm in commission of a felony, possession of firearm by convicted felon and three charges of robbery.
Stephen Hayes is charged with two counts of attempted robbery and three counts of the use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Murder charges were dropped against Hayes.
On January 14, police received a call about an accident just after 11 a.m. where a van had hit a parked vehicle near 14th Street and Wickham Avenue.
While they were on their way to the scene, the call was upgraded to a shooting.
When officers arrived, they found two men in a silver van who had been shot. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
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The victims were identified as 38-year-old Cadre Antwoine Grey of Norfolk and 30-year-old Quinton Antonio Kelly of Newport News.
During a press conference after the incident, Newport News Police Chief Richard Myers said the two were friends.
Shortly after police responded to the scene, a witness pointed out a possible suspect that was running away from the scene.
An officer and Sergeant found someone matching the suspect’s description on Roanoke Avenue.
Chief Myers said the man was armed and given orders to drop his weapon. Instead of complying, the man refused to surrender and ran from the officers. Chief Myers says the man fired his gun at one point while refusing to surrender.
Both responding officers fired their weapons at the man during the encounter.
The suspect, 33-year-old Laratio Lorenzo Dantzler, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Dantzler was released from the hospital and taken into police custody on January 18.
Stephen Hayes turned himself in to police on February 16.
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