VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A woman is guilty following a trial over an officer-involved shooting in Virginia Beach in December.
Jacqueline Ortiz faced a bench trial on Tuesday for seven charges related to that incident. She was found guilty on six of those charges, including assaulting and battering a law enforcement officer.
It started with a traffic stop when a Virginia Beach police officer got a hit on a stolen vehicle from an automatic license plate reader.
When the officer pulled up behind the vehicle, Ortiz and her husband, DeShawn Whitaker, tried to run off. Ortiz-Whitaker tried to run, too, but she was tackled to the ground.
Bodycam and dashcam video show Whitaker returning and pointing a gun at the officer. The officer opens fire, hitting and killing Whitaker.
Ortiz initially claimed she didn't have a gun, but body camera video shows that appears to be a gun on her.
In the bench trial Tuesday, prosecutors recounted the alleged events of the day, adding that in interviews with a detective, Ortiz admitted to running from the police because she knew their car was stolen and that she had a gun that she shouldn't have had.
The defense claimed when the VBPD officer shot Whitaker, Ortiz had the opportunity to shoot the officer, but didn't.
Ortiz's defense stated that they were not disputing the events of the day, but rather the charges that were brought forth.
The defense argued Ortiz tried to push the gun away, worried that she would get shot.
Defense attorneys also argued that while Ortiz may have known the car was stolen, it was not in her possession, she didn't use it for personal interest and she never drove the vehicle, and therefore she can't be charged with stolen property of over $1,000.
Ortiz's sentencing is set for Aug. 30, 2023.
