NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk police said a man was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers Tuesday morning.
The incident happened around 5:15 a.m. in the 5500 block of Monroe Place. That's near Brunswick Avenue, and it's in the Larchmont section of the city. It's also right down the street from Larchmont Elementary School.
The victim was identified as Antonio Beekman, 41, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
People living in the Larchmont area of Norfolk said they woke up to the sounds of several quick gunshots Tuesday morning. They said the area is typically a quiet and safe neighborhood.
"I woke up around 5 o’clock to popping sounds," said one resident who didn't want to be identified. "It sounds like gunshots.”
She said it’s a sound she has heard in the distance but never close by. What she didn’t expect to see is several police officers just feet away from her doorstep following the shooting.
“Things like this don’t just happen in this area," she said. "So, it was very shocking to see the scene and all the tape.”
According to the police department, officers were trying to arrest Beekman on several charges out of Virginia Beach, including malicious wounding, use of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The department said Special Operations Team officers identified themselves to him, and the suspect started shooting at them. That's when the department said four officers started shooting back at him, and he was killed.
Beekman's sister was on the scene as police investigated. She said her brother just started a new chapter in his life by getting a job as a truck driver.
She described Beekman as a loving man with a warm heart who was dedicated to his family. She said her entire family is struggling to cope with what happened and they want more information as to what happened so they can have closure.
The Virginia Beach Police Dept. said they issued the warrant for Beekman in connection to a convenience store robbery that took place on May 30 along Holland Road.
A spokesperson for the police department said his team handed off the warrant to Norfolk police to help arrest Beekman. That's when Norfolk police said the shooting unfolded Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Virginia State Police said that the department's criminal investigations unit went to the scene to investigate.
Interim Police Chief Michael Goldsmith asked the VSP to help with the investigation.
“Nobody likes having this sort of thing happen in their neighborhood,” said Ramin Fatehi, the Norfolk commonwealth's attorney.
He stopped by the scene this morning and spoke with Goldsmith to gather details about what happened.
“We have to keep an open mind," Fatehi said. "We have to let the facts come out and it’s going to be some months before the facts come out. Some may over time.”
Until those facts come out, it’s leaving some with a lot of questions and concerns about safety moving forward.
“I think about my kids," one resident said. "They walk through this neighborhood all the time and we always feel safe and they always feel safe and just the thought that this is so close to home is a little scary.”