Officers shoot, kill suspect in NN armed robbery

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Newport News police are investigating an armed bank robbery at Navy Federal Credit Union that led to two arrests on Saturday morning. Officers shot a third armed suspect, who later died, police said.

“I’m thankful that all of our officers are going home today, but with that said I still understand we still have a loss of life and that matters to me,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said.

An employee said that an armed man showed a gun and demanded money at the bank in the 12000 block of Jefferson Avenue. One witness told 10 On Your Side what she experienced.

“I just started texting my husband and my son and I said I’m currently in a bank robbery, he has a gun call the police hurry up,” Mia Harrod said.

The suspect fled into a vehicle with the money. Once at the bank, police were able to gather information from witnesses that the suspect fled and had gotten inside a red SUV.

Around 11:50 p.m., officers found the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on the 3100 block of Radius Way, in the Jefferson Market Place Parking lot.

“We saw a lot of police activity and we went over to the parking lot and that’s when we saw everything unfold,” another witness Joe Festa said.

The vehicle contained three individuals. The man driving and the woman in the front seat exited the vehicle separately and were detained.

The last individual was a man located in the back seat. Police said he exited the vehicle and pointed a firearm directly at officers. Officers returned fire striking the suspect. He was taken to the hospital where he died around 1:05 p.m.

The suspect who died was identified as 39-year-old Stephan Williams of Hampton. The officers involved are currently on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The investigation remains ongoing.

“Whenever you have a police-involved shooting they are handled and investigated just like any other shooting or homicide in our city, the detectives will put the case together they will submit that to the commonwealth’s attorney and they will render a decision,” Drew said.

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