In the early morning hours of June 23, 2003, a male Virginia Beach police officer, 33-year-old Rodney Freddrick Pocceschi, was tragically killed in the line of duty. The fatal encounter occurred at approximately 3:24 a.m. on Dam Neck Road during what began as a routine traffic stop for speeding. Unbeknownst to Officer Pocceschi, the vehicle he pulled over was fleeing the scene of a recent robbery at a local IHOP restaurant.
The driver of the vehicle, LeKeith Devon Speller, 21, exited the
car and opened fire on Officer Pocceschi. Pocceschi returned fire, and in the ensuing exchange, both he and Speller were wounded and collapsed. A teenager who was passing by stopped to help the fallen officer and flagged down another officer for assistance. Officer Pocceschi was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at 4:05 a.m. Speller was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Speller was a convicted felon with a history of violent crimes and was wanted on several outstanding warrants. He, along with his accomplice Shawn Anthony Zhe and an 18-year-old IHOP employee named Christina Marie Tatem, had just robbed the restaurant. Tatem, who was Speller's girlfriend, had let the two men into the establishment. Following the shooting, both Zhe and Tatem were arrested and faced charges related to the robbery.
