RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said the sheer number of people carrying guns in Shockoe Bottom has troubled his department in recent months, prompting efforts to ramp up police presence in the area.
“The proliferation of guns we're seeing is just off the charts," Edwards told CBS 6.
It's an observation business owners have made as well, according to Juan Braxton, a former Shockoe Bottom club owner and the current liaison between businesses and local police.
“It’s just not safe to have that amount of guns around where people are drinking," Braxton said. “The people that's coming to Shockoe Bottom, they're not supporting any of the businesses. They come. They start their own parties. They’re drinking in their cars.”
On the weekends, he said large crowds will gather in the streets, that are blocked off by police cars. Many of the people, he said, have firearms and don't actually enter the nightclubs or entertainment venues.
"They're scaring away the good business," Braxton said. “It makes no sense right now that clubs are losing so much money that it's better for them to close, and the police still have to work overtime getting the streets clear.”
Edwards said his data shows the most weapons violations and gun thefts in the city are happening in Shockoe Bottom.
According to RPD, there were 109 weapons law violation incidents in 2024, an increase from 12 reported in 2023. So far in 2025, there have been 33. Not all incidents resulted in arrests, according to an RPD spokesperson, and some incidents involved multiple firearms.
There have been three shootings reported in Shockoe Bottom so far this year, including a city employee who was shot in May while on the job and driving a trash truck. The victim's injury was non-life threatening, police said.
While the act of simply holding a gun in the streets is not unlawful, Edwards said the presence of guns in combination with other factors can lead to serious outcomes.
“It’s very concerning, because while it may be legal to walk around and open carry, if you're mixing alcohol, drugs and an entertainment environment, it's a recipe for disaster," he said.
After a so-called "huge melee" on St. Patrick's Day in which multiple shots were fired and 13 guns were seized by police, Edwards said he devised a plan to increase police presence on the weekends.
The chief himself worked a shift on April 6 and observed a man, who had been in a fight, walking down the street with an AR-15. Edwards pulled him aside.
"I was like, 'why are you walking back with a rifle in your hands? You know, the police could have shot you. Someone else could have shot you.' And he just said, 'it's my right to have a gun. I'm not hurting anyone.' He wasn't pointing at anyone. He was just holding it down," Edwards recalled. “While I was standing and talking to him, I noticed the outline of another firearm in his waistband. I seized that; thus I was subpoenaed to testify today to for a charge of a concealed weapon.”
That defendant, who was from Petersburg, appeared in General District Court on Tuesday and pled guilty to a misdemeanor concealed weapons violation.
Edwards said he and Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin are in agreement on pursuing more convictions on these types of charges. He said prosecutors have given officers more training since they've lost cases in the courtroom because "they did something out of order" or "didn't ask the right questions when they're approaching a person."
The operations to promote public safety in Shockoe Bottom have been causing a strain on an already understaffed department, which is facing a 20% officer vacancy rate.
Data obtained through a public records request showed RPD's crowd management team had been deployed to the area at least ten times between January and June, compared to zero times in the same timeframe last year.
Additionally, overtime hours have increased by 37% compared to last year, and officers are now on a rotating on-call schedule to work these shifts.
“I’d love to not spend the money, time, and risk to my officers in Shockoe Bottom, but that's where the data is telling me to go, and that's what we have to follow," Edwards said.
He acknowledged that some of his officers may be feeling frustrated by the activities and increased demand to respond to Shockoe Bottom.
For example, in April, RPD Officer Anthony Catoggio, who had recently responded with a crowd management team to the area, sent an email to leadership including the chief calling Shockoe Bottom "an absolute disaster."
“I have worked this [city’s] most violent neighborhoods for 18 years. I have never in my career seen people with guns in their hands confronting police officers. I personally observed a man with an AK pistol in his hand waving it around, saying we couldn’t stop him because he only has 20 rounds in the magazine," Catoggio wrote in the email, which was obtained by CBS 6 through a public records request.
He added, “What are we gonna do when [there's] an accidental discharge and the whole crowd opens fire? The chief will give an officer’s family a nicely folded flag and be like, sorry we have no idea who killed your loved one because there [were] 100 cartridge casings."
Catoggio ended his email by saying the department should "call out" judges who "cultivate this culture."
The chief responded to Catoggio's email saying there were "better ways to handle" his frustrations and said his "door is always open if you ever want to learn how to play chess instead of tic tac toe."
“I share that sergeant's frustrations. I have a lot of respect for him. Personally, I know he's served this agency for 18 plus years, and I respect that, but I disagree with just kind of shouting at the sky about it. I'm looking for solutions, and you can either shout at the sky or you can try to find a solution," Edwards told CBS 6 when asked about the exchange.
He said the officer's concerns were better directed toward the General Assembly rather than judges but added that members of the public should attend court hearings to "watch and see what our officers go through."
Edwards said the solutions include striving for more accountability in the courtroom for weapons charges and advocating for stricter laws surrounding guns, along with the current operational strategies already in effect.
As for Braxton, he said he'd like to engage city and council leadership to advocate for zoning changes in the area or possible legislation that could restrict the presence of guns in Shockoe Bottom.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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