In what should have been a routine and safe child custody exchange, a father's life was tragically cut short in the very place meant to ensure safety. Stuart D. Jeffries, a 33-year-old man from Richmond, Virginia, was fatally shot on the evening of Sunday, January 16, 2022. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Appomattox Police Station on West Hundred Road in Chesterfield County, a location often chosen for such exchanges for its presumed security. An on-duty officer, sitting in his patrol car in that same lot, heard the gunshot that evening around 6:28 p.m.
Jeffries was at the police station to return his eight-year-old daughter to her mother after a weekend visit. Accompanying the child's mother was her new boyfriend, identified as 44-year-old Corey D. Goodson Sr., also from Richmond. An altercation broke out between Jeffries and Goodson during the exchange, escalating to the point where Goodson allegedly shot Jeffries. Tragically, Jeffries was killed in front of his young daughter. He was pronounced deceased at the scene from a gunshot wound. Family members described Jeffries as a hardworking and family-oriented man whose daughter was his pride and joy. His obituary remembers him as a loving and devoted father, a man who was always smiling and was a loyal employee.
The presence of the police officer at the station led to a swift response. Although the officer's vehicle was facing away from the incident, he immediately responded upon hearing the gunshot. Corey D. Goodson Sr. was promptly located and taken into custody at the scene without incident. He was arrested and has been charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Goodson is being held at the Chesterfield County Jail without bond. Neither Jeffries' daughter nor her mother were physically harmed during the incident. The investigation into the fatal shooting is ongoing.
