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| Gunman who shot Virginia state trooper had 143 rounds of ammo in his luggage | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| RICHMOND-The gunman who fatally shot a Virginia State Police trooper inside a Greyhound Bus station here on Thursday was carrying 143 rounds of ammunition in one of three bags he was carrying, the state police superintendent said on Friday. | |
| The superintendent, Col. W. Steven Flaherty, said investigators do not know why the shooter James Brown III attacked the trooper. He said Brown shot Chad P. Dermyer, with a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun that was legally purchased by someone else 13 months ago. | |
| State and federal officials are tracing how Brown, who has a lengthy arrest record in Aurora, Ill., acquired the gun an did say who or where it was first bought. | |
| Brown opened fire on trooper Dermyer, 37, during a training exercise for a criminal interdiction squad inside the station, according to authorities. Two civilians were wounded in the shooting, which occurred about 2:45 p.m. Thursday. | |
| Two troopers shot and killed Brown, whose weapon was recovered next to where he fell just inside a terminal restaurant. In one of Brown’s bags, Flaherty said, police found two partially loaded 30-round magazines and two partial boxes of ammunition. | |
| Flaherty said police were investigating how he obtained the weapon and would not rule out the possibility it was stolen. “It is unfortunate he was able to get a gun based on his history,” the superintendent said. That history includes felony convictions for guns and violence. | |
| The superintendent said he found it “troubling he was out” and troubling he had a gun. Flaherty said he didn’t know what motive could be but “maybe, ‘they’re going to find this ammo in my bag.’” But, said Flaherty, “we don’t know at this point and we may never know.” | |
| Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Flaherty provided new details of what preceded the shooting. Dermyer and 16 other troopers and agents were at the terminal for an exercise to identify suspicious activity, as part of training for a counter-terrorism criminal interdiction unit, which the slain trooper had just joined. | |
| Flaherty said it appeared Brown was traveling alone on a ticket he bought in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., with stopovers in Richmond and Washington, D.C. before ending in Chicago. Flaherty said Brown was in the terminal restaurant just off the main entrance with his bags near the restaurant entrance. | |
| Surveillance footage and other information, Flaherty said, show Brown left the restaurant, walked toward his luggage, and then, Flaherty said, “he turned away from the luggage.” | |
| Dermyer approached and “within seconds, Brown turned back toward Chad. ... He turned into him and fired multiple shots.” He said the trooper “was struck multiple times and he went down.” Two plainclothes troopers shot Brown, who stumbled back into the restaurant and collapsed. | |
| On Thursday, Flaherty said that Dermyer had started to question Brown, possibly because his actions appeared suspicious. But after reviewing surveillance video, he said the encounter between the two occurred much faster than initially believed. He said the trooper might have engaged Brown “in small talk to try and find out what he was doing. The two of them weren’t together more than a few seconds.” | |
| Two female passengers who were in the terminal were wounded in the exchange of gunfire. One was a 21--year-old from New York, who was grazed by a bullet, Flaherty said, and the other was a 47-year old from North Carolina who was wounded. | |
| One of the injured has been identified as a female member of the track team for New York’s Binghamton University. The school said the team was headed to a meet at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. In a statement Friday, a Binghamton spokeswoman said the student has been released from a hospital. | |
| Investigators said they are continuing to look into Brown’s criminal past. Aurora Police Lt. Jeff Wiencek, with the investigative department, said Brown “was very familiar with the Aurora Police Department and vice versa.” The Chicago suburb has about 200,000 people. | |
| Records with the Kane County Circuit Court show Brown had been arrested numerous times in Aurora. | Records with the Kane County Circuit Court show Brown had been arrested numerous times in Aurora. |
| In 2011, he was charged with aggravated domestic battery, strangulation, in an incident involving a woman who filed a protection order against him. He was also charged with battery against a pregnant woman and battery of an unborn child. He pleaded guilty to domestic battery and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. | In 2011, he was charged with aggravated domestic battery, strangulation, in an incident involving a woman who filed a protection order against him. He was also charged with battery against a pregnant woman and battery of an unborn child. He pleaded guilty to domestic battery and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. |
| Other convictions include heroin possession in 2003, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison, and intent to kill with a firearm in 2001. On that charge, court records show he pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm and was sentenced to four years in prison. | Other convictions include heroin possession in 2003, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison, and intent to kill with a firearm in 2001. On that charge, court records show he pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm and was sentenced to four years in prison. |
| Details of the cases were not immediately available. | Details of the cases were not immediately available. |
| Colleagues of Dermyer on Friday were recalling his hard work ethic and dedication to his wife, Michelle, and two young children. | Colleagues of Dermyer on Friday were recalling his hard work ethic and dedication to his wife, Michelle, and two young children. |
| Dermyer, 37, graduated from the state police academy in 2014 after serving as an officer in Jackson, Mich., and in Newport News, Va., state police said. He grew up in Michigan and served in the Marine Corps. | Dermyer, 37, graduated from the state police academy in 2014 after serving as an officer in Jackson, Mich., and in Newport News, Va., state police said. He grew up in Michigan and served in the Marine Corps. |
| The trooper is the 62nd Virginia trooper killed in the line of duty in the department’s 84-year history. | The trooper is the 62nd Virginia trooper killed in the line of duty in the department’s 84-year history. |
| Dermyer worked with the Newport News Police Department from 2003 to 2007 in uniformed patrol, according to agency spokesman Officer Brandon Maynard. | Dermyer worked with the Newport News Police Department from 2003 to 2007 in uniformed patrol, according to agency spokesman Officer Brandon Maynard. |
| “He was an outstanding officer,” Maynard said. “He had a great reputation and was a very hard worker.” | “He was an outstanding officer,” Maynard said. “He had a great reputation and was a very hard worker.” |
| Maynard said Dermyer worked in the “high-impact patrol unit,” a group of police officers who would address focused problems in the community as they arose. | Maynard said Dermyer worked in the “high-impact patrol unit,” a group of police officers who would address focused problems in the community as they arose. |
| The Newport News police posted photos of Dermyer on its Facebook page, showing the officer smiling with members of the community or working with his partner. | The Newport News police posted photos of Dermyer on its Facebook page, showing the officer smiling with members of the community or working with his partner. |
| He and his partner Cyndi Grace, who no longer is with the department, were so well-known as a duo that colleagues referred to them as Gracemyer, Maynard said. “He will very much be missed,” Maynard said. | He and his partner Cyndi Grace, who no longer is with the department, were so well-known as a duo that colleagues referred to them as Gracemyer, Maynard said. “He will very much be missed,” Maynard said. |
| When he arrived at Newport News, Dermyer quickly established himself as a tireless public servant. Colleagues remembered him as an officer who never lost a foot chase, was always sharply uniformed and carried a wide smile even after back-to-back 16-hour days. | When he arrived at Newport News, Dermyer quickly established himself as a tireless public servant. Colleagues remembered him as an officer who never lost a foot chase, was always sharply uniformed and carried a wide smile even after back-to-back 16-hour days. |
| Grace, Dermyer’s partner in Newport News, said the two met during a particularly quiet shift. | Grace, Dermyer’s partner in Newport News, said the two met during a particularly quiet shift. |
| “He asked me if I would be willing to take a walk with him and see if we could find anything to do,” said Grace. After an hour and a half, they got to know each other and realized they weren’t the types to sit around and wait for crime to come to them. From then on, they became inseparable at work. | “He asked me if I would be willing to take a walk with him and see if we could find anything to do,” said Grace. After an hour and a half, they got to know each other and realized they weren’t the types to sit around and wait for crime to come to them. From then on, they became inseparable at work. |
| “There are a lot of dark corners in the city and we would make it a point to go to those dark corners to help make the city a safe place,” Grace said. “Once when we went to a homicide, a man was shot and killed and we were the first two on the scene. We started questioning people while waiting for detectives and by the time homicide detectives came to the scene, we gave them the name of the shooter.” | “There are a lot of dark corners in the city and we would make it a point to go to those dark corners to help make the city a safe place,” Grace said. “Once when we went to a homicide, a man was shot and killed and we were the first two on the scene. We started questioning people while waiting for detectives and by the time homicide detectives came to the scene, we gave them the name of the shooter.” |
| Dermyer was a careful officer, Grace said. He always made it a point to debrief after an incident to improve their skills and ensure their next stop, arrest or encounter would be safer than the last. After one traffic stop, Grace recalled pulling over a very large man -- 6’ 4” and 350 pounds who she would have “easily lost to in a fist fight.” Dermyer was searching for the car while Grace searched the man and found a gun. | Dermyer was a careful officer, Grace said. He always made it a point to debrief after an incident to improve their skills and ensure their next stop, arrest or encounter would be safer than the last. After one traffic stop, Grace recalled pulling over a very large man -- 6’ 4” and 350 pounds who she would have “easily lost to in a fist fight.” Dermyer was searching for the car while Grace searched the man and found a gun. |
| While the man was arrested without incident, the two officers realized it “could have gone bad very quickly.” Outside of the jail, Dermyer and Grace talked out their mistakes. | While the man was arrested without incident, the two officers realized it “could have gone bad very quickly.” Outside of the jail, Dermyer and Grace talked out their mistakes. |
| “We would always be tweaking our tactics to make sure we were better and safer,” Grace said. “It was important to us because we wanted to go home every night.” | “We would always be tweaking our tactics to make sure we were better and safer,” Grace said. “It was important to us because we wanted to go home every night.” |
| While any officer’s death is tragic, Grace said Dermyer’s loss comes as a particular shock given he was so strategic and cognizant of officer safety. | While any officer’s death is tragic, Grace said Dermyer’s loss comes as a particular shock given he was so strategic and cognizant of officer safety. |
| “He is not one you’d think that someone would be able to get the drop on,” Grace said. But “as tragic as this is and as horrific as it is, I know he died doing exactly what he loved. He is a hero in every sense of the word.” | “He is not one you’d think that someone would be able to get the drop on,” Grace said. But “as tragic as this is and as horrific as it is, I know he died doing exactly what he loved. He is a hero in every sense of the word.” |
| Newport News Police Assistant Chief Stacy Kelly was Dermyer’s supervisor when both worked on the high-impact patrol team together. Dermyer was tapped from patrol to work for the specialty unit because of his work ethic, Kelly said. | Newport News Police Assistant Chief Stacy Kelly was Dermyer’s supervisor when both worked on the high-impact patrol team together. Dermyer was tapped from patrol to work for the specialty unit because of his work ethic, Kelly said. |
| Kelly remembered Dermyer as an officer who had a reputation for being a “high-producing officer” who was also fair. The work was a mix of conducting surveillance in cars, bike patrol and community engagement. | Kelly remembered Dermyer as an officer who had a reputation for being a “high-producing officer” who was also fair. The work was a mix of conducting surveillance in cars, bike patrol and community engagement. |
| “He was so approachable,” Kelly said. “He was one of the guys that would go out there and talk to people and put them at ease and didn’t have any problems interacting with the community.” | “He was so approachable,” Kelly said. “He was one of the guys that would go out there and talk to people and put them at ease and didn’t have any problems interacting with the community.” |
| He was loyal to his colleagues, spending time with officers outside of work at cookouts and holidays, Kelly said. The camaraderie was so strong that he still kept in touch with many of his former Newport News colleagues. | He was loyal to his colleagues, spending time with officers outside of work at cookouts and holidays, Kelly said. The camaraderie was so strong that he still kept in touch with many of his former Newport News colleagues. |
| And while Dermyer was known to be a hard worker, he was even more devoted to his family, Kelly said. | And while Dermyer was known to be a hard worker, he was even more devoted to his family, Kelly said. |
| “He was 100 percent just a family guy, which makes this so much more tragic,” Kelly said. | “He was 100 percent just a family guy, which makes this so much more tragic,” Kelly said. |
| Dermyer was a Marine like his father, and developed “the core value of being a servant,” said Newport News police Sgt. Brad Churchill, a friend and former colleague. | Dermyer was a Marine like his father, and developed “the core value of being a servant,” said Newport News police Sgt. Brad Churchill, a friend and former colleague. |
| “When he wasn’t dedicating himself to the job, he dedicated himself to his family,” Churchill said. “He was always talking about how proud he was of his kids.” | “When he wasn’t dedicating himself to the job, he dedicated himself to his family,” Churchill said. “He was always talking about how proud he was of his kids.” |
| Dermyer began working for the Jackson Police Department in Michigan in 2008, said the agency’s Deputy Chief Elmer Hitt. | |
| “He was from this area and grew up and went to high school here,” Hitt said. “He was passionate about the job and the community of Jackson.” | “He was from this area and grew up and went to high school here,” Hitt said. “He was passionate about the job and the community of Jackson.” |
| Dermyer left Jackson for Virginia in 2011, after budget cuts forced the officer out of the department. | Dermyer left Jackson for Virginia in 2011, after budget cuts forced the officer out of the department. |
| Julie Tate, Magda Jean-Louis and Perry Stein contributed to this report. | Julie Tate, Magda Jean-Louis and Perry Stein contributed to this report. |