YORK COUNTY, Va. - A 16-year-old boy is still in the hospital Tuesday after he was shot by a York County deputy Sunday evening.
Both witnesses and Sheriff Ron Montgomery described how deputies tried to get the teen to come out of the car where he was barricaded and put down his 9mm pistol. The pistol also had an extended magazine.
Eventually, the boy did come out of the car, gun in hand, and pointed it at deputies. One deputy fired three times; two bullets hit the teen.
“They just continuously asked him to put the gun down, come out of the car with his hands up," said Bobby Pritchett, who witnessed the incident.
Williamsburg, James City County, Yorktown
Boy, 16, shot by deputy after pointing gun at people in York County: Sheriff
Retired Norfolk police officer Donnie Norrell spoke to News 3 about police tactics. He owns Investigative Solutions, an agency that trains local law enforcement on a variety of subjects, including de-escalation.
Norrell said the use of force policy varies by department, but generally, these are the tactics used when police are responding:
- Start with verbal commands
- If unsuccessful, move on to physical contact
- Use non-lethal force, like mace or a taser, if necessary
- Deadly force as a last resort
“Any officer put in that situation will go by those steps because you always want a peaceful ending, where everybody comes out uninjured and safe,” said Norrell.
He also said these are often split-second decisions, where law enforcement has to rely on their training.
“It’s unfortunate when they end with someone getting hurt or something losing their life, but the officer does have the responsibility of protecting himself and protecting other citizens as well,” said Norrell.
According to Sheriff Montgomery, the deputy who shot the teen has five years of law enforcement experience and has been with the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office for one year.
The deputy is on paid administrative leave.
