VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Two Virginia Beach police officers are on administrative leave after investigators say they shot a man who allegedly confronted the officers with a gun.
According to the Virginia Beach Police Department, officers were called to the Linkhorn Bay Apartments on Riverfront Court shortly after 7 p.m. for a reported dispute.
Investigators said the two officers knocked on the apartment door multiple times and announced their presence, but said Besecker opened the door armed.
Those two officers then shot Besecker.
13News Now records show this is the third police shooting to happen this year, and the fifth going back to mid-December. Both Newport News and James City County Police had police shootings within days of the new year, while police were involved in shootings in Suffolk and again in Newport News last month.
"It seems like people are getting real bold now, it's getting more dangerous for the officers this year," said one neighbor.
VBPD detectives said Besecker is now in critical, but stable condition. A spokesperson with the Virginia Beach Police Department said those officers gave Besecker life-saving measures while they waited for paramedics.
Besecker has already been charged with three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of domestic assault. Investigators said more charges are expected to follow.
Isaac Mullins, who lives at the complex, said he could see the scene from his window and the entire incident left him a bit shaken up.
“It’s pretty crazy," he said. "You kind of go on high alert. You don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
Two criminal investigations are underway, both looking into the incident. VBPD's Homicide Unit is leading one investigation, and Virginia Beach's Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney is leading another independent review.
Once both are completed, a spokesperson with Virginia Beach Police said the Internal Affairs Unit will conduct another review to determine officers' compliance with policy and training.