A Virginia Beach police officer shot a Norfolk man who allegedly tried to flee in a vehicle while being detained Saturday night, police said in a news release.
Officers responded to a report of an armed person threatening staff at a nightclub located at the intersection of Great Neck Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard. Based on a description from witnesses, officers located the vehicle in a parking lot at the intersection of Lynnhaven Parkway and South Lynnhaven Road.
The driver, Nicholas E. Colin, 25, tried to drive away while an officer attempted to detain the vehicle’s occupants, which caused the officer to be dragged, according to police. This officer fired at Colin, hitting him in the arm, police said. It’s unclear how many other people were in the vehicle.
The officer sustained a minor injury to his leg. Colin was released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon.
Colin was arrested and charged with assault on a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a felon, though additional charges are pending. Police do not have any other suspects in the case. His vehicle matched the description of a suspect that fled from officers the night before during an attempted traffic stop, police said.
Virginia Beach police’s investigation into this shooting is ongoing. They will turn over their evidence to the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney who will “determine if there are any violations of law,” police said. The Commonwealth Attorney will also conduct a parallel investigation independent of the police department’s. The police department’s Internal Affairs Bureau will then review whether the actions by officers complied with “department police, procedure, and training.”
A spokesperson for Virginia Beach police could not be reached for comment Sunday afternoon.