VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A woman was sentenced to six years in prison for her role in a 2022 traffic stop that ended with Virginia Beach police shooting and killing her husband.
The sentencing comes after Jacqueline Ortiz was convicted of felony assault on a law enforcement officer, felony receiving stolen property, possessing a concealed weapon, brandishing a firearm, resisting arrest-fleeing, and possessing a firearm after domestic violence conviction charges.
Jacqueline Ortiz faced a bench trial on Tuesday, Jun 27, where she was found guilty.
On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Ortiz was sentenced to 6 years total for her involvement.
It started with a Dec. 1, 2022, 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, 28, 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 appeared to have shown a gun on her.
In the bench trial, 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-Whitaker had the opportunity to shoot the officer, but didn't.
