PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A man is dead after two Portsmouth police officers shot him during a stabbing investigation, according to the department.
It happened around 10:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Mt. Vernon Avenue, which is in the Port Norfolk section of the city.
The Portsmouth Police Department (PPD) confirmed they went to a residence following a 911 call.
According to PPD, a 65-year-old woman was stabbed during a domestic incident. While at the scene, two officers shot at and killed the suspect, her 45-year-old son, Deshawn Jones.
Police said the woman was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
A neighbor who asked not to be identified said that about 15 minutes before police arrived, a woman ran out of the home in distress and covered in blood.
“I hear someone say, 'Help! Help!'" the neighbor said. "So, I walk over there because I know them, and I said, 'What’s going on?' She’s covered in blood from head to toe. She keeps saying, 'Help my son.'"
Shortly afterward, the neighbor said a man walked outside, appearing disheveled. The neighbor said he then ran inside his home to call 911.
A short time later, he saw police arrive.
"Six or seven police officers walk up to the door they start saying, 'Portsmouth police, open the door,'" the neighbor recalled. "They say it about four or five times, so they kick the door down. When they kick the door down, I hear the police saying, 'Stop! Drop it! Stop! Drop it!' They said it like five times and then all of a sudden, I hear a bunch of gunshots."
Friday afternoon, Portsmouth police confirmed they had entered the house, saw Jones with a knife, and asked him to put it down.
When he didn't and started walking toward them, two officers fired their guns. Jones was shot multiple times.
Police spokeswoman Victoria Varnedoe said officers were trying to save both the mother, who had been stabbed, and the son, who they shot, while medics rushed to help.
Jones died from his wounds. His mother is still in the hospital, seriously hurt, Varnedoe said.
PPD said Virginia State Police will investigate the shooting, while the police department will continue to investigate the stabbing.
While that's happening, the two officers who shot Jones are on paid administrative leave.
If you have any information that may help investigators, you're asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. You can also submit a tip online at P3Tips.com.