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Attempted robbery near Oceanfront takes deadly turn

Posted at 10:23 AM, Dec 08, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-10 20:34:35-05

An attempted robbery near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront early Saturday took a deadly turn.

Police say it appears a man tried to rob another man along Virginia Beach Blvd. near 17th St. around 4 a.m. Troy Ellis was on his way to work when it happened.

"I kept seeing all these police riding by, going past me, so I called my friend and asked him what was going on, and he said somebody just got robbed at the Convention Center.

As Ellis later found out, police believe it started off that way, but the robbery victim ended up turning the tables. Police say he was armed and shot the would-be robber, killing him.

"The person who shot the man actually called 911 and stayed there for the officers to arrive," said MPO Jimmy Barnes with Virginia Beach Police.

Barnes says police are still investigating to make sure everything checks out, so for now, there are still some questions left unanswered.

Police say they cannot release whether or not the man who died was armed or if the man who shot him was hurt.

It's all part of the investigation to determine if the shooting was in self-defense.

If that's the case, police say he would not face charges.

"If everything is as it was presented Saturday morning by the gentleman, that could be the case, but the investigation has to go on and make sure that everything adds up," said Barnes.

Once their investigation is complete, police say they'll meet with the Commonwealth Attorney who will have the final say in the outcome of the case.

An autopsy was performed Monday.  Police have not released the identity of the man who died or any information about the man who shot him.