VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A man was shot late Saturday night by a Virginia Beach Police officer after he attempted to flee during a traffic stop, dragging the officer during the attempt.
According to a police department spokesperson, this happened after their officers were dispatched to investigate a report of an armed man threatening staff members at a nightclub on N. Great Neck Road. The responding officers were told that the man had already left in a vehicle.
The officers realized that the description of the vehicle in which the man left matched the description of a vehicle that had eluded police officers Friday night during an attempted traffic stop.
A while later, a police officer saw a vehicle which matched the description sitting idle in a parking lot at Lynnhaven Parkway and S. Lynnhaven Road. The officer approached the vehicle and attempted to detain the people in the car, but the driver then attempted to drive off and began dragging the police officer in the process.
The officer then fired his weapon at the driver, hitting him in the arm. The driver was then taken into custody. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital where the injury to his arm was treated, and he was then discharged into custody.
The suspect was identified as 25-year-old Nicholas E. Colin of Norfolk. He is currently being held without bond in the Virginia Beach City Jail. He's been charged with Simple Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted felon. It's unknown if he'll face any additional charges.
The spokesperson provided this statement regarding the investigation into this incident:
"The VBPD Homicide Unit is conducting a criminal investigation into this incident. Upon completion, all evidence will be turned over to the Virginia Beach Office of the Commonwealth Attorney (OCA) who will determine if there are any violations of law. In addition to the VBPD investigation, the OCA conducts their own parallel, independent investigation. Upon conclusion of the criminal investigations, the VBPD Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct an administrative review to determine whether the actions in this incident complied with department policy, procedure, and training."
The spokesperson said that the investigation is ongoing and asked that anyone with any information about the case contact the Virginia Beach Police Detective Bureau at 757-385-4101 or anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.