“Last night, evil found them”
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – “We ask them to go out in this community and keep us safe from evil. And last night evil found them. And that sacrifice is a painful reminder of the dangers our officers face and that unwavering commitment that they have to serve and protect.”
Those are the words of Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate, who provided an update to the public on a tragic incident that resulted in the deaths of two of his officers late Friday night.
Chief Neudigate, alongside other city and police officials, held a news conference Saturday afternoon.
He said the two officers conducted a traffic stop at 11:27 p.m. on a vehicle with an expired plate. They pulled over the vehicle on a dead end street. The driver initially refused to follow commands by the officers to exit the vehicle. Once he did, Chief Neudigate said there was a tussle during which the suspect pulled out a gun and shot both officers.
Chief Neudigate identified the officers as Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30.
Both officers were rushed to the hospital where they succumbed to their injures, surrounded by immediate family, friends, and VBPD family.
The search for the suspect led to the discovery of a man with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in a nearby shed. Chief Neudigate said it appears to be self-inflicted. He said at no time did officers fire shots during this incident.
He identified the suspect in the killings of the two officers as John McCoy III, 42.
There is body worn camera and dashcam video. “So we do have video of all of it and I can tell you it was quite horrific,” said Chief Neudigate.
There was another person in the suspect vehicle. No charges against that person are expected.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
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