CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake man was shot and killed on Teresa Drive this week after police say he threatened a delivery driver with a hatchet. Authorities have determined no criminal charges will be filed.
Just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Chesapeake police responded to Teresa Drive on a report of an injured person. Officers found 37-year-old Kenneth Lee Baum Jr. of Chesapeake, who had been shot. He died of his injuries.
News 3 spoke with a police spokesperson who shared a confrontation sparked after Baum's wife told the driver to slow down.
"Through witness interviews and video evidence, detectives learned that a delivery driver was making a delivery to a residence on Teresa Drive," CPD said. "As the delivery driver was leaving, Baum blocked the delivery driver’s vehicle in the street and a verbal altercation occurred. The altercation escalated when Baum began physically assaulting the delivery driver."
Police say Baum started punching the delivery driver. News 3 is told a family member at some point handed Baum a hatchet, and he threatened the driver with serious bodily harm. The delivery driver shot Baum in response. Police recovered the hatchet from the scene.
Chesapeake reporter Erin Holly spoke to a woman in the neighborhood who is also a delivery driver.
“It is a little concerning just because this is a very unusual area for these things to happen you know," Malia Nethery said. "And I do delivery driving for my job as a stay-at-home mom, so I do bring my kids with me. That is a little bit concerning, just because it’s out-of-the-blue and out-of-the-ordinary and I just really hope that something like this doesn’t happen again."
Police say the delivery driver left the area and then reported the incident to police.
The Chesapeake Police Department said the decision not to file charges was made based on the sum of all the evidence.
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