CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Chesterfield County Police Department (CCPD) is investigating after two officers were shot in the Broadwater Community Tuesday night.
A spokesperson for the police department said that just after 6 p.m., two officers were responding to a report of an emotionally disturbed person at a residence at Broadwater Way and Timsberry Circle in Chester. Authorities said that the officers went inside the residence where the call originated; one officer speaking downstairs with the subject in emotional distress, and the other speaking with his family upstairs.
“At one point in time, the officers got separated,” CCPD Major Mike Louth with the Investigations Bureau told 8News. “There was an altercation that took place between the suspect in this case and the officer that was with him. The officer was shot, and the officer that was with the family ended up hearing the gunshots, came downstairs, shots were exchanged.”
The first officer was shot once in the chest, but his bullet-resistant vest stopped the bullet from entering his body, according to CCPD. The second officer reportedly ran downstairs and was shot in the leg by the suspect, who was also shot and is now in custody.
“They were able to — after he sustained the gunshot wound — be able to get him in a pair of handcuffs and get the situation calmed back down until some more officers could come and assist,” Louth said. “We’ll be reviewing some of the body cam footage and talking to the other witnesses, and trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.”
Police said that everyone involved has been taken to local hospitals and all are expected to survive their injuries.
“That’s one of those situations where everyone that’s available is going to be coming as quickly as they can to get to this particular scene; try to get things secure; make sure that first aid is rendered, not just to our officers, but to the suspect there, as well,” Louth said. “Any time you hear that call that one of our own have been hurt, shot or anything else, there is a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotion that kind of goes through your system.”
Authorities told 8News that the individual who made the initial emergency call was the same individual in emotional distress.
“People just need to be educated on weapons and they need to be educated on mental health,” a nearby resident told 8News. “That’s really a big thing that we need to start taking seriously right now, especially in places like this. We have too many children, and they’re innocent, and bullets don’t have a direction.”
Louth also noted that work is underway to determine whether the suspect was armed when police arrived, and, if so, whether the responding officers were aware of this. It is unclear at this time whether the gun fired by the suspect was his own.
The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Stay with 8News.
