NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Newport News Police Officer Katie Thyne was tragically killed in the line of duty in January.
Now, the man who is facing a murder charge in her case has also been indicted on federal charges.
38-year-old Vernon Green II has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana. His local court date is set for July 22.
Green appeared in court for the first time on Monday, July 6.
Appearing in Norfolk Federal Court on Thursday, July 9, Green pleaded not guilty to those charges. He is also facing state charges for felony homicide.
Green's trial date is set for December 2.
If convicted, Green faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison.
The night Thyne's death happened she was conducting a traffic stop in the 1400 block of 16th Street.
At some point during the encounter, the driver accelerated, dragging Thyne. The vehicle fled the scene and crashed nearby in the area of 16th Street and Walnut Avenue.
The driver, Green, was taken into custody after the crash. The vehicle's front-seat passengerIvy Runnels, was also arrested.
Green is currently detained on state charges at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
Thyne, a Navy veteran and mother to a toddler had been with the department since 2018. She leaves behind her mother, brother, stepfather and 2-year-old daughter “who looks just like her,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said.
Thyne is the first woman and 12th person in the department’s history to be killed in the line of duty.
