NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News police have made two arrests related to a bank robbery this past weekend that led to a fatal officer-involved shooting.
Martel Joffrion, a 45-year-old Newport News man, was charged with the following on Wednesday:
- conspiracy to commit robbery
- conspiracy to commit entering bank, armed, with intent to commit larceny while armed
- conspiracy to commit grand larceny
- possession of ammunition by violent felon
Dominique Butts, a 34-year-old Elizabeth City woman, was charged with the following on Friday:
- conspiracy to commit robbery
- conspiracy to commit entering a bank with intent to commit larceny while armed
- conspiracy to commit grand larceny
Police say Joffrion was the driver of the suspect vehicle tied to an armed bank robbery at the Navy Federal Credit Union on Jefferson Avenue. He was taken into custody without incident after the incident on Saturday but officially arrested and charged on Wednesday.
In a Saturday evening press conference, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said that around 11:49 a.m., a man entered the credit union, displayed a firearm, and demanded money. He was given a bag with money inside and was seen leaving in a vehicle with his gun still in hand.
Witnesses gave police a description of the vehicle, and within minutes, Drew said officers spotted the suspect vehicle and conducted a "high-risk traffic stop." The vehicle stopped at the Jefferson Marketplace Shopping Center on Radius Way, off Bland Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue, near the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.
According to the police chief, the driver, Joffrion, and a woman in the passenger seat, Dominique Butts, followed police commands and were taken into custody without incident.
The back seat passenger, however, did not comply with police commands and got out of the back seat with a gun drawn and pointed at officers, who immediately opened fire, hitting the suspect.
The suspect, 39-year-old Stephan Allan Williams of Hampton, later died at a local hospital.
The officers who fired at the suspect have been placed on administrative leave with pay while the investigation is underway.
The shooting remains under investigation. If you have any information that may help detectives, you're asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-562-5887. You can also submit a tip online at P3Tips.com.