On a Thursday afternoon, March 7, 2013, Virginia State Police Master Trooper Junius Alvin Walker, a 63-year-old Black/African American male, was shot and killed in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A veteran of the force since 1973, Walker was a respected and long-serving member of the law enforcement community. He was patrolling alone on Interstate 85 when he stopped to check on what he believed to be a disabled vehicle.
As he sat in his marked patrol car, a man emerged from the other vehicle
and opened fire. Walker was struck multiple times and was unable to return fire or call for backup. His patrol car then moved forward and went down an embankment into the woods. A second trooper arrived within minutes to find a suspect firing into Walker's vehicle. The second trooper exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who then fled into the nearby woods.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Russell Brown, was found hiding at a business about a half-mile from the scene and was arrested shortly after the shooting. Brown was charged with capital murder of a police officer, attempted capital murder of a police officer, and two felony firearm counts.
Following his arrest, the legal proceedings against Russell Brown began. In February 2014, he was found incompetent to stand trial. However, by July 2016, he was found guilty on six felony charges, including the capital murder of a law enforcement officer. On August 4, 2016, Brown was sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 23 years. Due to Virginia law, he will not have the possibility of parole.
