CHESAPEAKE
To understand the power of the weapon that Officer Sean Fleming was confronting, know this: Police believe two rounds went through Fleming's Jeep before piercing his bullet-resistant vest.
Police said Thursday that Christopher White wielded a semi-automatic AK-47 when he burst out of a van and fired on police officers.
Fleming had been on his way home from work Monday afternoon and was still wearing a typical, so-called level-3 vest issued to all Chesapeake officers.
When he responded to a call of shots fired near Interstate 64 and pulled up on the scene, the gunman sprayed Fleming's car.
Top officials with the department said the gunfire from White's rifle was so potent that it most likely would have penetrated the stronger, tactical vests given to SWAT team members and narcotics officers.
Fleming, who sustained four gunshot wounds, survived the attack and was recovering Thursday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Investigators on Thursday were still trying to figure out where the AK-47 came from. Chesapeake police Maj. T.D. Branch, who commands the investigative bureau, said officers here haven't seen many of those guns, although the semi-automatic weapon can be legally purchased.
Branch also said that a second gun - a stolen semi-automatic handgun - was found in the white van that officers chased before Monday's shoot out on an interstate highway ramp in Chesapeake.
White was killed, two other suspects were arrested, and the body of abduction victim Tione D. Vincent was discovered in the van.
Investigators speculate that White shot and killed Vincent, Branch said, although they are not yet sure. The two other suspects in the van, Willie Simmons and Dedrion Short, each face six felony counts, including first-degree murder.
Police say White could have unloaded as many as 30 rounds at the green Jeep Wrangler that Fleming was driving. Investigators said they believe some of those bullets may have gone through both the car metal and bulletproof vest, Branch said.
The gunfire also flattened two of the Jeep's tires, shattered its front headlights and left about 12 bullet holes in the vehicle's front windshield.
"He was still seated in the vehicle when he was assaulted," Branch said. "Those type of weapons, depending on what kind of rounds, typically penetrate metal. They're pretty powerful."
Chesapeake police Chief Kelvin Wright said Thursday that his department was not considering buying new vests as a result of the shooting.
Fleming managed to fire at least eight shots from his service weapon before pulling himself out of the vehicle, officials say.
Although a news release said Fleming mortally wounded White, other officers may have fired, too, Branch said. Detectives were still trying to reconstruct the shoot out Thursday.
Police say they are still trying to trace the AK-47.
Officials are thankful that White did not have a fully automatic weapon, which could have sent more bullets toward the officer's Jeep in a hurry.
"In the time it would take me to shoot 20 rounds with a semi-automatic, I could probably shoot 60 rounds with a fully automatic," Branch said.
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Only designed for killing?
If guns cause crime or are only designed for killing, then ALL of mine must be defective. Dang
How about we put the blame where it belongs...squarely on the shoulders of the CRIMINALS.
Media Misinformation
I'm sick and tired of the media trying to demonize rifles that look like assault rifles, and guns period for that matter.
Guns are not the problem.
How many millions upon millions of Semi-Auto AK-47 type, AR15, etc. rifles are owned by law abiding citizens? None of us break the law but you would like to see us punished for trying to exercise our rights.
And stop with the armor piercing bit! Just because they pierce metal does not mean armor piercing. I can shoot a BB gun through a soup can. Shooting a bullet through mild steel is hardly an accomplishment either. Most of the popular hunting cartridges can do much more damage than what an AK uses.
I have a good knowledge of
I have a good knowledge of firearms and their abilities. The AK is really common in the US, its almost always Semi only (semi auto is a confusing term). There are probably only a couple hundred true full auto AKs in the country.
The reason they are not used in most crimes is that its not a discreet firearm. Its about three feet long, about a foot tall and two and a half inches thick including charging handle. You can clearly hear it well past a mile away. And pulling out an AK is pretty much a death sentence as I have yet to hear of any criminal using one and living out the day a free man.
I fear that a ban on them would increase the number that criminals will try to acquire, once they can establish what the legal limit of firepower is they will attempt to one up it. You can see that in Mexico where the cartels know they can out gun the police with automatics.
Politicians and judges will protect their right 2 carry b4 yours
What should be mentioned here and is the most interesting is the very same individuals who want to set policy on gun ownership and promote firearms bans wherever possible are often found to create loopholes that allow themselves to reamin legal owners. For instance, in Virginia it is only legal to open carry in an ABS establishment and not drinking EXCEPT if you are a lawyer or retired LEO where it is legal to conceal carry AND drink alcohol. Since more politicians & judges tend to be lawyers, it is no surprise that they would keep their personal rights intact while infringing yours. It should also be mentioned that many politicians are increasingly asking for it to be legal to publicly release all new gun ownership applications in the paper because the public "has the right to know". Believe it or not, criminals still read the paper. I know that is unbelievable but you have now been educated. Think about that when you think "common sense" gun control is needed. Ask your politician what "common sense" means.
re: jlc4703
Not taking issue with your sentiments, but I think you might inadvertantly trigger more rabid responses by the anti-gun crowd with one of your statements re: " . . . permits to purchase weapons are required for pistols, not for shotguns or rifles."
While gun owners will easily know what you mean, i.e. that a background check, after filling out the necessary forms & showing a proper i.d., are always required to buy ANY firearm in the Commonwealth of VA, the gun haters will interpret your words "no permit" to mean "no paperwork" is required to buy other than pistols. Thus, they will conclude any felon or nut can breeze in & buy a rifle or shotgun, no questions asked.
Forgive my ignorance
Doesn't a belief that our gun laws are the problem presuppose that guns used in a crime such as the one in this incident are owned by law-abiding citizens? Somehow I don't think that Mr. White was a law-abiding citizen prior to allegedly kidnapping the guy later found dead in the back of his van. That being the case, how would prohibiting gun ownership have impacted this situation? Do you really think Mr. White would not have gotten a gun because it was illegal to possess one? I wonder what Mr. White's prior criminal record was. I don't know, but I suspect he may not have been legally entitled to posess a firearm. Didn't stop him though. So because this type of crime takes place by people who are not legally entitled to posess guns, we should restrict all law abiding citizens from possessing firearms? If you follow that logic to its end that would leave only people who don't mind breaking the law (read: Criminals) with guns.
RE: wspeid
I'd agree common sense figured into your ability to dodge being victimized for 40 years, but I'd also say you've been darn lucky.
In my neighborhood (Bayview) the police ain't coming just because one sees several "shady" characters, even if they are toting baseball bats. (They'd tell you "they're probably just guys headed to the ball field.")
Though I lived 30 years in the same house w/ no major crimes committed against me or my household, this year we experienced an attempted home invasion. Thanks to some common sense precautions we took (stout front door) the perps gave up after 4 heavy kicks to the door & ran off about the same time I got there with my gun.
No way did the wife or I have time to dial 911 & even if we had, the cops just wouldn't have gotten there before "showtime."
I was so thankful I had a gun to protect us that I went out & bought a nice 12 guage in celebration.
I hope you never need one but I also hope your luck holds.
assault weapons
an sks or ak47 in the semi automatic type are no more than a 30/30 Winchester. the bullet-proof vests are tested to hold up against primary against a handgun. any high powered rifle has much more stopping power due to the bigger load of the power and in most cases heavy grain bullet. look at the weapons used in assassinations. they were basically hunting rifles. the Russian made Kalashnikov weapons are one of the most durable weapons made and they were made in the millions. they get their reputations in the fact that the automatic version can maintain rapid fire in the severest conditions. these rifles are sold in a lot of gun shops and most are useless without modification for hunting. it makes me sick that it is portrayed as some type of super weapon. i would be much more afraid of a sniper with a 222 or 30-06. the ceramic armor that the military uses are one of the few that can withstand the impact from a high powered rifle. the law abiding citizen are the least of your worry stop letting these thugs go and put them away for life the first time they commit a severe enough crime that serves the sentence.
moot
To assume that these events wouldn't have unfolded if the criminal didn't have access to an AK-47 is ignorant.
Just once I'd like to see an anti-gunner analyze the incident as it occurred, not as it wouldn't have in his/her gun-free utopia. Intellectual honesty is hard to come by around here, but here's a hint for some of you: Those blinders actually can be taken off.
God help us.
Most Guns ='s Most Freedoms
Regarding militia: US Code, Title 10, Subtitle A, Part I, Chapter 13, § 311 “Militia: composition and classes (b) The classes of the militia are—(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and (2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.” Our media is often full of lies about this - check it for yourself. kodak_ken you and others who clearly do not understand the issue forget: a fundamental American constitutional concept is based on citizens being well armed to the extent that our government will not try to repress us. Notice that the people with the most guns are also the people with the most freedoms.
We are the best armed populace in the world
I have no desire to take away the individuals right to bear arms. This right carries the responsibility to defend the free state. Have you ever heard (in the past two centuries)of the unorganized militia being called up? What is the penalty for failing to answer the call up? Without leadership, training and discipline all you have is an armed mob.
You and I a far more more likely to be killed by a felon with a stolen gun than by an agent of the government. There is the true threat to our liberty. The right to bear arms has limitations: we cannot have grenades, RPG's, atom bombs or other implements of war classified as "Destructive Devices". Large magazine capacity, semi-automatic military grade rifles should be classified as destructive devices and not be in private hands. Fully automatic firearms are seldom used in crime because there are so few of them in private hands. There are any number of excellent semi-automatic rifles limited in magazine capacity that are more than adequate for defense of self and a free state.
Keep Your Guns, Stay Safe, Stay Free
In the 20th century more people were murdered by their government than were killed in wars. Typically governments controlled by one racial/ethnic group arm “their people” and disarm members of another racial/ethnic group. That is what is happening in Darfur right now, but, of course, our media doesn’t report this. Same thing happened in East Timor. Same thing happened with the KKK and black people during Reconstruction. Black Union soldiers were sent home with their military weapons after the Civil War and the KKK’s major function was to take them away and re-repress blacks, who really were not free people until I was a teenager. Keep your guns, stay safe, stay free.
Chesapeake Shooting
As a retired public safety officer I pray the wounded officer heals and returns to work.
Now for my complaint the rifle is not what wounded the officer. The AK47 shoots a 7.62X39 round just like a multitude of other firearms. The bullet is what caused the injuries not the rifle.
I hate press that sensationalizes the new!
Buckhead
There are NO 'assault' weapons. Could you and others get that through your heads? The whole point was missed by our leftist leaning newspaper but pointed out by others here. The justice system has failed us. The liberal thinking has failed us by supporting and growing dependence (future votes for the democrat party), through several generations, where a government check has more value than a father figure. These thugs are a reflection of the mentality created. I live next to this where one breeder and her seven kids reside in taxpayer supported section 8 housing. Half of thes kids will end up dead or in prison. The others will be on the government dole. I am in favor of full prison sentences, no parole, 'Don't work/Don't eat', no exercise, no libraries, no a/c, no heat, and swift execution of murderers where the evidence is 100% overwhelming. One more thing, give each a good length of rope. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll hang themselves.
gunner, you can't explain it
gunner, you can't explain it any better than that, thank you. Just watch the replys though; cowboys, rednecks, small "you know whats". It's just the same sheep complaining about the dog till the wolf comes.
Just wondering...
Where was "the well regulated militia" during this gun play in Cpeake? Actually; who is this well regulated militia? Every able bodied man between 16 and 60, you say? OK. Where does the militia meet? Who are the officers? Where do they drill and practice? Who determines the able body (including sound mind) status of the membership? What are the rules of conduct? Absent these elements you are talking about an armed mob, not a well organized militia.
I am a gun owner. I have no problem with the legal ownership of most guns. How do criminals get guns? They often steal them from legal owners. Therefore, the mere existence of large magazine capacity, center-fire semi-automatic rifles puts everyone in society at risk. These guns were made to kill as many people as possible out to 200 yds or more, yet they can be purchased at the age of 18. Americans have lots other types of guns to protect themselves and their personal liberties. Personal ownership of military grade semi-autos endanger society more than the limited protection they offer.
Guns don't kill people...
Guns don't kill people, judicial mistakes do - twice here recently. Maybe we should pass some court control laws.
There does not need to be
There does not need to be any further controls on firearms. The law was clear a felon cannot possess a fire arm. The law was broken. The suspect is now dead and justice has been served. If anyone believes outlawing any type of weapon is going to make us safer they need to think again. The same criminal that violated current law would simply violate stricter laws in the future.
Wspeid Needs to Know
wspeid three things you need to know: 1. police have no duty to enforce restraining orders (Castle Rock, Colo., v. Gonzales, 04-278 - Supreme Court October 2004), 2. police have no duty to respond to 911 calls and provide individuals protection (Warren Vs. District Of Columbia, D.C. App., Atlantic Reporter, 2nd Series, Volume 444, p 1 – 12), 3. “... that citizens can depend on police for effective protection, is simply untrue ... the idea that modern police are so effectively in controlling crime that they have rendered citizen self protection obsolete is widely at variance with a large body of evidence that police activities have, at best, only very modest effects on crime (Point Blank: Guns and Violence in American, Kleck, 1991, p 121).
Hypocrites
To all those "self-rightous" hypocrites who think firearms should be banned, wake up! All nations, past and present, that have outlawed a citizens rights to carry arms have been a dictatorship, monarchy, communist, or fascist state. Other "free" nations that have banned firearms have an elevated crime rate. Firearms are a tool for the betterment of society and just like unfortunate events involving industrial machines, power tools, and even our beloved cars and trucks, it is only the fault of the PEOPLE using them. The CDC confirms, gun sales have increased 40% in the past 10 years but the use of firearms during a crime has either remained the same or lowered. Stop listening to the guy in a suit that lived behind iron gates his whole life, do the research, defend your rights, defend yourself!