In the late hours of a Sunday evening in Newport News, Virginia, a violent chain of events culminated in the death of 40-year-old Robert Christopher Burchfield. On November 6, 2011, Burchfield, a white male, initiated a harrowing ordeal when he abducted his 34-year-old ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. The situation began in the Belmont Apartments parking lot in York County, where Burchfield forced the male driver of a car to exit the vehicle before he got in and sped away with the woman.
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police chase ensued as law enforcement was alerted to the carjacking and abduction. The pursuit weaved its way into Newport News, ending behind the Chestnut Memorial United Methodist Church on Harpersville Road. There, a tense standoff unfolded between Burchfield and officers from the Newport News Police Department and the York County Sheriff's Office. According to reports, Burchfield refused to comply with police commands.
The standoff reached a fatal conclusion when a member of the Newport News Police Department's Tactical Operations Unit fired his weapon, striking Burchfield. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The female victim in the car was also injured, reportedly by debris, and was taken to a local hospital for treatment before being released. She later informed investigators that Burchfield had sexually assaulted her shortly before the police located them.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the officer who fired the fatal shot, along with another officer, was placed on administrative leave with pay, a standard procedure in such cases. An internal investigation was launched to review the circumstances of the shooting. It was later reported that a prosecutor had determined the police officer was justified in the shooting.
