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Man shot in police-involved shooting pointed gun at Richmond officer, police chief says

Chief: 'It happened very quickly... so we are looking at everything'
Posted at 5:38 PM, Jan 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-01 17:38:17-05

RICHMOND, Va. -- The man wounded in an officer-involved shooting pointed a gun at an officer in Richmond's Mosby Court neighborhood on New Year's Eve, according to Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith.

Officials said two officers tried to stop a car at the intersection of N. 20th Street and Fairmount Avenue at 5:05 p.m.

"The vehicle failed to stop and was pursued to the 1300 block of Coalter Street where the vehicle crashed," a police spokesperson said.

The suspect got out of the car, tried to run away and "definitely did point a gun at an officer," Chief Smith said.

Officials said one of the officers fired his weapon and wounded the suspect.

"Officers rendered first aid immediately," officials said. "The suspect was transported to a local hospital and currently has non-life threatening injuries."

Chief Smith said more than one shot was fired at the suspect.

"We have three casings that we have found on the scene...," Chief Smith said. "Part of the investigation will be to count the rounds of the officer on scene, as well as any other officer on scene to determine exactly how many rounds were fired."

Police released a photo of the suspect’s firearm, which officials said was recovered at the scene. But it is unclear if the suspect fired his weapon, according to police.

"We do not know," Chief Smith said. "I do know that it happened very quickly, very fast. So we are looking at everything that we can to determine what exactly happened."

Officials said the officer involved in the shooting has not yet been placed on administrative leave, but Chief Smith said that is part of the department's protocol.

"The incident is currently being investigated by the Officer Involved Investigation Team," police said.

If you have information that could help detectives, call Major Crimes Det. B. Thompson at 804-646-3925 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or submit a tip online at www.7801000.com. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smart phones may also be used. All three Crime Stoppers methods of contact are anonymous.

This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.