VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - A Virginia city’s top prosecutor has ruled out criminal charges against four police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a suspect in two killings,
In a report released Friday, Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle concluded that the officers fired in self-defense and were justified in using deadly force against 23-year-old Alvin Lamont Baum II in Virginia Beach, The Virginian-Pilot reports.
“It is clear that the officers returned fire after being fired upon by Alvin Baum II,” Stolle wrote.
The four officers involved in the March 20 shooting were identified as Norfolk SWAT team members Sean Garrison and Lake Maizel and Virginia Beach Warrant and Fugitive Squad Detectives Jason Mann and Nicholas Wengler.
Norfolk police had identified Baum as a suspect in two killings, including a drive-by shooting on the night before the police shooting.
Body cameras recorded the encounter. Video shows Baum bending toward the vehicle’s center console and pointing a gun toward the officers before firing his gun once, Stolle wrote.
The four officers returned fire, collectively firing 30 shots. An autopsy later showed Baum was struck between 11 to 13 times.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.