In a devastating event that unfolded late Friday night, two police officers from Virginia Beach lost their lives during what began as a standard traffic stop. The officers, Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30, had stopped a vehicle due to an expired license plate in the Green Run neighborhood at approximately 11:30 p.m. This incident marks the first time a Virginia Beach police officer has been fatally shot in over ten years.
The suspect in the case, 42-year-old John McCoy III, reportedly displayed confrontational and uncooperative behavior. As per the body camera footage, McCoy exited his vehicle upon the officers’ request, which escalated into a physical altercation. McCoy is alleged to have pulled out a handgun from his pocket and shot at the officers.
Police Chief Paul Neudigate reported that the officers were shot again while they were defenseless on the ground. The suspect then calmly left the scene. Officer Reese was pronounced dead shortly after midnight, while Officer Girvin succumbed to his injuries around 4:30 a.m.
The tragic event has left the police department and the community in a state of mourning. Chief Neudigate expressed his sorrow over the loss of two young officers who had promising careers ahead of them. Later, police discovered McCoy dead in a nearby shed, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was confirmed that no shots were fired by the officers during the incident.
This incident is the first fatal shooting of a Virginia Beach police officer since 2008, highlighting the gravity of the loss for the relatively young department. Both Reese and Girvin had recently joined the force, in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Jessica Girvin, Officer Girvin’s wife, posted a heart-wrenching farewell to her husband on Facebook. The couple was expecting their first child, a girl, in August. The community has also expressed its sorrow over the loss of the two officers. Rep. Jen Kiggans, whose district includes Virginia Beach, mourned the loss of the two “heroic” officers.
The Virginia Beach Police Department continues to investigate the incident, but they do not believe there is an active threat to the community.