VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.— A former chief of police for Norfolk said the actions of a Virginia Beach Police officer are justified. This comes after police shot and killed a man who was pointing a gun at an officer.
The shooting happened Thursday on Newtown Road in Virginia Beach when an officer pulled over a vehicle that was reported stolen. As the officer attempted to detain a woman who was the passenger, the driver approached the officer, pointing a gun. The officer fired his firearm, striking the man, identified as 28-year-old DeShawn Whitaker who died at the hospital.
Former Norfolk Chief of Police and News 3's Law Enforcement Analyst Larry Boone said what happened is justified.
"Folks again have to understand, particularly when the officer is outnumbered, there's no such thing as fair," Boone said. "Officers are walking into the unknown, they don't know how many people are in the car, they don't know their state of mind, so that's problematic on its own."
Police eventually arrested the woman after she was treated for injuries at the hospital. The officer was treated for injuries on scene Thursday night and released. She was charged with possession of stolen property, concealed weapon, possession of a firearm after a domestic violence conviction, and brandishing a firearm.
The officer is now on administrative leave which is standard protocol for the department, and there are investigations underway into the incident.
An employee who works in the shopping center told News 3 she's glad she wasn't there when the shooting happened.
"We don't feel like we're safe in the area we work," she said.
