EMPORIA, Va. (WVEC) – A police officer is recovering and a man is dead after several shots were fired outside an Emporia night club.
According to the ABC station in Richmond, it happened around 2 a.m. Sunday when officers responded to Smoove Operators Nightclub after reports of a disturbance in the parking lot.
Emporia Police Chief Ricky Pinksaw told the Richmond-Times Dispatch shots were fired hitting 22 year-old George P Cain the third in the torso. Someone rushed Cain to the hospital where he died.
As officers gathered information, they found the shooting suspect in the parking lot. The Times-Dispatch identified that man as Christopher Powell, 26.
Police said as Officer William King took that suspect into custody, more shots were then fired and Officer King was hit in the leg.
"We actually had a state trooper who was alert, that showed on the scene that was able to render first aide to our officer and from what I understand may have saved his life. The alert trooper, Trooper Dent, was able to apply a tourniquet to Officer King's leg until he was able to get to the hospital," said Police Chief Ricky Pinksaw.
According to ABC Richmond, the suspect the officer was taking into custody, Powell, now faces a first degree murder charge in the killing of Cain.
The gunman that shot the police officer is still on the run. Police are asking anyone with information to please call Emporia Crime Line at 434-634-1111.
