Off-duty York County deputy assaulted people shooting off fireworks, sheriff’s office says

YORK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — A deputy sheriff in York County is no longer employed after he assaulted a group of people who were setting off fireworks, the sheriff’s office says.

The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office made the announcement during the morning on Friday, July 5.

At around 11:50 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, Robert Murray, an off-duty, work-as-required deputy sheriff with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office drove to a house near his home in the Tabb area of York County where fireworks were being used.

According to the sheriff’s office, Murray went into the backyard of the home and a physical altercation began involving three people.

Those three individuals then contacted the sheriff’s office to make complaints about being assaulted by Murray.

On the Fourth of July, several witnesses and the three victims were interviewed. As a result of the investigation, Murray was charged with three counts of simple assault, which are all misdemeanors.

Murray is no longer employed by the sheriff’s office.

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