A road rage incident on the morning of March 8, 2024, ended the life of Derrick Knight, a 51-year-old Black man from Chesapeake, Virginia. The fatal encounter took place around 5:40 a.m. at the intersection of South Military Highway and Canal Drive. Police were first called to the scene for a vehicle crash with a person in the roadway. When they arrived, they found Mr. Knight lying in the road and discovered he had been shot.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly identified the incident as a case of road rage. Later that same day, police arrested 55-year-old Leonard Parker of Chesapeake. During interviews with detectives, Parker admitted to shooting Mr. Knight. He claimed that the confrontation began after Mr. Knight, apparently believing Parker was driving too slowly, passed him. Parker stated that at the intersection, Mr. Knight got out of his car and walked toward Parker’s vehicle, angrily “waving his hands.” Parker told police he acted out of fear for his safety, firing a single shot before driving away from the scene without calling for help.
Parker was charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was initially held without bond, and a judge denied his request for bond at a hearing on March 13, 2024. Subsequently, Leonard Parker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shooting and killing Derrick Knight.
Those who knew Derrick Knight remembered him as a family-oriented, sweet, and kindhearted man who was also laid back and humble. A truck driver by trade, he was a beloved partner, with one loved one referring to him as "Hubby" in a memorial tribute.
