NORFOLK, Va. — A normal day biking for Tyler Whitfield turned traumatic when he was approached by a group of four males with guns.
Whitfield was riding his bike on the Berkley Bridge on a Sunday evening in September when the attempted robbery happened. Whitfield's camera attached to his bike captured the attempted robbery.
Bicycling is Whitfield's main mode of transportation and he says he typically rides on the Berkley Bridge several times a week. Now he says he's more cautious when it's dark.
"This is the first time I’ve ever had a gun pulled out on me in my life," Whitfield said. "I felt a punch on my shoulder and turned around all of sudden there is a barrel of a gun in my face. I ducked down. As soon as I did that, I felt something being sprayed on me."
Whitfield says he was sprayed on his arm and neck.
"I felt a burning sensation and knew immediately it was pepper spray," Whitfield said. "As I looked back up to see what was going on, they were yelling ‘give me the bike, give me the bike.'"
Shorty after, the group ran away during the attempted armed robbery.
"They were spraying the pepper spray into the wind so it turned back around and hit them," Whitfield said. "That’s why they ran away."
Whitfield says Norfolk Police told him the four males were arrested. Here's the update he says he got from police:
"Two are still in jail," Whitfield said. "It was two teens and two adults. The two adults are still in jail. They caught the fourth one yesterday. I think they let one of the teens out because they are still in school."
Whitfield's love for bicycling is evident in his career: he sells and repairs bikes at East Coast Bicycles on Colley Avenue in Norfolk.
When News 3 reached out to Norfolk police they said:
"On September 3, 2023, Norfolk police responded to the Berkley Bridge around 9:00 p.m. for the report of an attempted robbery. It was reported to Officers that a group of teenagers had attempted to rob a person while on the pedestrian walkover. The victim sustained minor injuries during the incident.
"As a result of the investigation, Detectives have arrested and charged four people.
- Javon E. Wilborne, 18, was charged with attempted robbery, malicious wounding with a caustic substance, and use of a firearm. Wilborne is currently being held in Norfolk City Jails without bond.
- Carlos M. Vaughn, 18, was charged with attempted robbery, malicious wounding with a caustic substance, and use of a firearm. Vaughn is currently being held in Norfolk City Jail without bond.
- A 17-year-old male was charged with robbery, injury with a caustic agent, and use of a firearm.
- A 15-year-old male was charged with robbery, injury with a caustic agent, use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by juvenile."
