In the early hours of February 2, 2021, a domestic dispute in Norfolk, Virginia, escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 23-year-old Tracy Eugene Bellamy Jr. Bellamy had gone to the home of his estranged wife in the 800 block of Wide Street, where an argument ensued with Dequan Tasean Copeland, who was dating Bellamy's wife at the time.
The confrontation spilled outside, where Bellamy placed his two-year-old child in his car.
As he was getting into the driver's seat, Copeland emerged from the residence and fired multiple shots, striking Bellamy in the torso. Despite being fatally wounded, Bellamy managed to return fire, though he did not hit anyone. He then attempted to drive away from the scene but crashed his vehicle into a parked car a few blocks away due to his injuries. Emergency services were called, and Bellamy was rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His young child, who was in the car during the incident, was not injured by the gunfire but sustained superficial injuries in the crash.
In the immediate aftermath, Copeland fled the state. An investigation was launched by the Norfolk Police Department, which quickly identified Copeland as the suspect. With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, Dequan T. Copeland, then 28 years old, was located and arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona, on March 2, 2021, exactly one month after the shooting. He was subsequently extradited back to Norfolk to face charges.
Copeland was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle. In February 2024, a jury found him guilty of the charges. Following his conviction, Dequan Tasean Copeland was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Tracy Bellamy Jr.
