NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi just gave a full review of a February night where two police officers shot a man who was holding a gun on Granby Street.
He said the officers did exactly as they were supposed to in order to protect the public.
The night in question was February 12. Fatehi gave an overview of that night, and both Barry Carrington Jr. and a group of police officers' actions.
Carrington, who later pleaded guilty to shooting a gun into a home, had been drinking, Fatehi said. Hospital records show his blood alcohol concentration at more than three times the legal limit to drive.
Fatehi said Carrington was drinking at a bar in Hilton Norfolk The Main, a hotel where Officer Jacob Reeves was working off-duty as security.
Fatehi said the string of problems started as a commotion outside the lobby, where someone said Carrington had brandished a gun. Reeves went to investigate, but Carrington ran away.
Then, about 10 to 13 gunshots rang out on Randolph Street, less than a five-minute walk away. Reeves started running toward the sound of the gunshots, as people near the shooting called 911.
Fatehi played audio recordings of some of the 911 calls at a press conference Monday. In one of them, a woman said a bullet came through her window.
Investigators later concluded that bullets landed in the living room of one apartment, and the bedroom of another.
Other officers started converging on the scene, and officers Reeves, Gareth Coleman, and Marco Padilla found Carrington standing outside Grace O'Malley's Pub with a hand just under his coat opening.
Fatehi showed body camera footage from the scene, and Carrington pulls the gun out from under his coat, turns away from the officers -- who are yelling at him to put it down -- and reloads the magazine into the gun.
The magazine turned out not to have any bullets in it, but Fatehi said the officers couldn't have known that, and shouldn't have assumed it, since there were lots of people in the area who depended on the officers for safety.
"The only logical reason to load a gun is to fire a gun," he said.
Fatehi said the officers waited a significant amount of time before shooting at him. In that time, people were getting up from tables in the restaurant and moving back, because Fatehi said "anyone watching the situation unfold knew they'd have to make that decision."
Carrington started walking down the sidewalk, holding the gun, and that's when Reeves shot eight times, and Coleman shot twice.
Carrington was hit by four bullets, injuring his left shoulder and arm, and his right leg.
Coleman's body camera wasn't on, and Fatehi said that was likely because he had only been working as a police officer for four days. The commonwealth's attorney said his actions are captured by the other two officers' body cameras, as well as cell phone videos and surveillance cameras in the area.
Cell phone video shows Carrington dropping the gun as he is hit, and then officers handcuff him, check on other people around the scene, and give him first aid before calling for paramedics.
The Virginia State Police investigated the officers' actions, and Fatehi said they wouldn't be facing any charges.
A prosecutor from Newport News handled Carrington's court case, so Fatehi could focus on reviewing the officers' behavior, and wouldn't have a conflict of interest.
"Ultimately, there is a responsible party for Mr. Carrington's wounds. That responsible party is Mr. Carrington," Fatehi said. "We are fortunate that Mr. Carrington survived his series of bad choices, and more people weren't hurt because of them."
