VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach judge found a Norfolk woman guilty of multiple charges for her alleged role in a deadly traffic stop involving police.
Jacqueline Ortiz, 20, was convicted of assault on a law enforcement officer (felony), receiving stolen property (felony), one count of brandishing a firearm (misdemeanor) at the officer and resisting arrest (misdemeanor).
The judge dismissed a second count of brandishing a firearm (misdemeanor), which was in regards to a passerby.
The charges stem from an incident on December 1, 2022 at a shopping center called Newtown Baker Crossing on Newtown Road in Virginia Beach. A police officer shot and killed Ortiz's husband, Deshawn Whitaker, 28.
On the witness stand, a Beach police officer recalled being parked at the shopping center when a license plate reader in his cruiser alerted him to a stolen car.
After verifying with dispatchers that the vehicle was stolen, the officer said he approached it. Dash camera video showed a passenger in the back of the car exiting it to go to a store.
The driver, identified as Whitaker, also got out of the car. When the officer tried to detain him, body-worn camera video showed Whitaker running away.
The officer then pivots his attention to Whitaker's wife, Ortiz. Video then showed her struggling with the officer on the ground.
Prosecutors argued that Ortiz attempted to reach for her own gun near her waist, despite several officer commands to stop.
The defense argued Ortiz tried to move her gun away from her body to avoid it accidentally going off.
During the tussle, Ortiz was observed in body cam footage repeatedly yelling for help.
A passerby testified in court that he tried to help the officer at his request, but backed up after seeing Ortiz and the officer wrestling for a gun.
Moments later, Whitaker returned, pulled a gun out from a bag and then pointed it at the officer, according to body cam video.
The officer then fired multiple shots at Whitaker, hitting him.
No attorney in court disputed the officer's decision to shoot at Whitaker. However, lawyers did make arguments back and forth on Ortiz's level of involvement with the stolen vehicle.
Prosecutors said Ortiz knew the car was stolen, days before the shooting. The defense stated Ortiz never drove it and that she was not the person responsible for stealing it.
Ortiz made the latter claim in a jailhouse interview with 13News Now back in December. In the same interview, Ortiz shared regrets surrounding her and her husband’s actions.
"If I didn't react or my husband didn't react, my baby would still be here right now," she said tearfully.
Ortiz also stated during the interview that she did not intend to harm the officer. "I was telling the officer, 'I am armed, but I'm not gonna do nothing,'" she said.
Ortiz has already pleaded guilty to having a firearm following a domestic violence conviction and concealing a firearm without a permit.
Her sentencing date is set for August 30.