City says UVA-Wise graduate pointed gun at Virginia Beach officer before shooting

Court filings from the Virginia Beach Police Department say a UVA-Wise graduate was armed and pointed his weapon at the officer who then shot and killed him earlier this year.

The statement was part of the information submitted by the city in response to a $50 million civil suit brought by the family of Donovan Lynch—one of 10 people shot in March during an evening of violence at the oceanfront.

The department’s statement says the officer, who was also an African-American, heard the sound of a slide of a handgun placing a bullet in the chamber. It then said Lynch appeared from behind a bush with the weapon and then the officer then shot him.

Previous statements said the officer shot Lynch without any verbal warning. Lynch was a member of the Wise County university’s football team and graduated in 2019.

(IMAGE: Bristol Broadcasting Co Archives)