Waterside shooting was self-defense, accused says

NORFOLK

The man charged with murder in a shooting death at the Waterside parking garage last weekend fired in self-defense after seeing a gun on the driver who fought him after a fender bender, a defense lawyer said in court Friday.

Reginald E. Royals Jr., 24, the man accused in the incident that left Juan Carlos Ovalle dead and another man injured, must remain in jail without bond, a judge ruled.

Both the Ovalle and Royals families watched the proceedings in General District Court. Statements from both families painted pictures of the victim and the accused as hard working family men who had never been in trouble until a dispute over scratches on a car led to gunfire.

Royals' lawyer, Jeffrey Swartz, said his client was by himself in the parking garage when his car bumped Ovalle's.

The four people in Ovalle's car all got out, Swartz said. Royals gave his phone number, and someone in Ovalle's car immediately called it to verify it was the correct number. Someone in Ovalle's car took a picture of Royals' license plate, Swartz said.

That's when Ovalle's friend Marcus McGee said Royals "probably doesn't have insurance. He's not going to pay," Swartz said.

"Royals saw the victim had a gun in his pocket. He saw it because he displayed it," Swartz said, reaching toward his waist and motioning as if to hike up his shirt to display his waistband.

All the men headed back to their cars, Swartz said, but then Royals saw Ovalle and McGee coming toward him. The men fought, Swartz said, with Ovalle and McGee striking Royals. That's when Royals reached into his car, got his own gun and started shooting.

Ovalle was fatally shot in the head. McGee was shot several times and had wounds to his chest and a leg. He survived.

Swartz said Royals' car was on the fourth floor of the garage; he had seen police on the second floor on his way up. Royals drove straight to the police, turned himself in, and gave a statement.

"It was only because he was in fear of his life that he pulled a gun and shot," Swartz said. "He cooperated with the police in every way he could."

Prosecutor Val Bowen told Judge Ray Dezern that Ovalle did have a gun when he first got out of his car but had placed it in the console before confronting Royals a second time.

"The victims were unarmed " when they were shot, Bowen said. "It was a fist fight. If he was so afraid, why would he turn his back to go into the car and get a gun?"

Bowen said Royals told police that he believed he saw Ovalle reach for a gun during the fight. McGee did not have a gun, Bowen said.

Bowen told Dezern that police found two holsters and 9 mm cartridges in Royals' car. Police also took a gun from Royals.

Bowen said Royals had no criminal record.

Royals' friends and family members filled two rows of benches in the courtroom. His mother and sister testified as to his character. His sister, Tamara Wilson, said Royals has worked as an electrician with Northrop Grumman for three years, and that his foreman has promised that his job remains available if he is released from jail.

His mother, Jacquelyn Royals, said she taught her children that if they were picked on, to walk away, tell a teacher, tell a principal.

"Reggie, he would run from trouble," she said. "He was never violent."

She said her son graduated from high school in 2002 with an advanced studies degree and was most valuable player in his baseball league. He attended Virginia State University for three years to study electrical engineering but left when his maternal grandmother died.

"I begged Reggie not to drop out of school, but he wanted to drop out to get a job to help me at home," she said.

Michelle Washington, (757) 446-2287, michelle.washington@pilotonline.com