SUFFOLK, Va. — A Virginia state trooper won't face charges after a police chase on Interstate 664 ended in a deadly shooting in Suffolk in November 2021.
In a letter to the Virginia Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Chesapeake Commonwealth's Attorney Matthew Hamel detailed the November 6, 2021, situation and the reasons why Trooper Paul Perry shouldn't face criminal charges.
Hamel concluded that Perry's actions in the death of Brian Price were "a justifiable exercise of self-defense," saying his performance of his duties as an officer was lawful.
The Nov. 6 police chase began around 4 p.m. at a store on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News when police got a report of a man acting hostile and appearing to be high on drugs. The man, later identified as Price, also allegedly assaulted a cashier.
A store employee flagged down a Newport News police officer and pointed out a white Chevrolet Cobalt that Price was driving on Jefferson Avenue. Police started to chase the vehicle but had to stop and start again several times because of traffic safety concerns.
During the chase, police noticed a woman in the vehicle trying to open the door. She was later identified as Amity Grey.
The chase continued onto the southbound lanes of I-664, where help from Virginia State Police was requested.
Perry was traveling north on I-664 when he heard about the pursuit involving a possible abduction. He used an exit to loop back to the southbound side and caught up with Price's vehicle near the Pughsville Road exit, passing Newport News vehicles as they drove into Chesapeake.
Perry tried to get in front of the vehicle, while Newport News police officers held back to block traffic from reaching the pursuit. When he did, Price rammed Perry's vehicle several times, according to sound and movement on one of the dashcams.
Perry tried to block Price's vehicle into a median guardrail, but Price struck the trooper's vehicle again and moved ahead.
After Perry got in front again, Price struck his vehicle again until he lost control, left the right side of the road and went down an embankment. Grey died where this crash happened.
Price was seen running into the woods from the damaged vehicle with a long pole or stick. Newport News police officers showed up and yelled at Price to stop.
Perry went back to his vehicle and drove to the nearby Highway 58, where he saw Price crossing the road. According to Hamel in his letter, dashcam footage shows Perry telling Price that he was "state police," commanding him to drop his weapon.
The dashcam caught an initial chase, but the two disappeared from the camera's view before three shots were heard in quick succession. Perry didn't have a body camera.
In an interview with investigators, Perry said Price struck him in the chest, causing him to fall back. As he looked up, he saw Price standing over him, raising a "pipe-like object."
Perry said he fired a gun from his hip three times out of fear that he'd be struck again. After that, Price fell to the ground.
Newport News police officers showed up and all tried to render aid to Price until medics could get there. Price died at the scene.
According to Hamel in his letter, investigators found a metal pole at the scene near Price's body, describing it as consistent with a curtain or shower rod.
Investigators recovered three .223 caliber shell casings, which were found to have come from Perry's gun.
An autopsy of Price conducted at the Medical Examiner's Office in Norfolk confirmed the gunshot wounds and that the pattern of his wounds was consistent with Perry's claims.
A toxicology report found that Price had THC and amphetamine in his blood.
