NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A man who was forcefully arrested by Newport News Policein June has had the majority of his charges dropped by prosecutors.
31-year-old Lawrence Fenner was arrested following a traffic stop on 30th Street and Roanoke Avenue.
Eyewitness video from the scene showed Newport News Police officers dragging Fenner out of his vehicle; officers then tased Fenner when he resisted arrest.
The Newport News Police Department held a press conference.
According to Newport News Chief of Police Steve Drew, officers were in the area of 30th and Roanoke when a vehicle drove by at an "accelerated rate of speed." Officers ran the vehicle's license plate, which came back as belonging to a different type of vehicle, then conducted a traffic stop.
The chief said Fenner refused, and that’s when several officers dragged him out of the car and onto the ground, where both the officers and Fenner can be seen struggling in the eyewitness video above.
According to online court records, most of the charges stemming from his June arrest were dropped via prosecutors' motion for nolle prosequi.
These five charges were dropped:
- 3 counts of assault on a law enforcement officer
- 1 count of possession of a firearm by a violent felon
- 1 count of possession of forged license plates or decals
Fenner entered a plea of no contest on these three charges below:
- 1 count of assault & battery
- 1 count of carrying a concealed weapon
- 1 count of obstruction of justice by threat or force
He received a deferred disposition, meaning he'll have to come back to court for a final review hearing in two years. If he complies with the conditions set by the court, these charges will be dismissed.
Fenner's family expressed they wanted answers back in June when the video of his arrest began to circulate online.
The chief said his officers followed policy and procedure.
“I want him to be transparent enough to the families, to us, to show the video cam footage, show the body cam footage,” a family member said. “He said they followed policy - show me the policy.”
His review hearing will be held in November 2024.
