PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. -- Prince George County Police have released the name of the man shot by officers while they were attempting to serve several outstanding arrest warrants Wednesday afternoon.
Lorenzo Lee Tyler Jr., 20, suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the officer-involved shooting near the Waterside Commons shopping center.
“The officers had positioned their vehicles around the Dodge Charger to effect an arrest, when the driver of the Dodge began ramming the police vehicles. The Dodge was able to push its way out and fled the parking lot, said a Virginia State Police spokesperson. “The Dodge came through an intersection, hit a stop sign, and then spun up an embankment. When officers pursued the vehicle on foot, the vehicle attempted to charge the officers. The officers fired at the vehicle, striking the windshield and the driver.”
A witness, who asked not to be identified, says she had just walked out of a building and into a nearby parking lot as the shooting happened.
"One shot and then you heard about two or 3 more shots after that,” she recalled. "Police yelling some more and after that, you saw them pull the gentleman out of the vehicle.”
CBS 6 has learned Tyler has a long criminal history.
Court Documents from Petersburg Circuit Court show Tyler was indicted by a grand jury in March on robbery with the use of a firearm and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Petersburg General District Court records show Tyler has been charged 18 times, with 3 convictions, including misdemeanor attempt to flee from law enforcement and misdemeanor drug possession.
Prince George County Police said in a statement, Tyler was part of an ongoing investigation involving guns, drugs and a June 9 high-speed police pursuit. Tyler was served with three felony arrest warrants in connection to that case: Possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, eluding police.
He was also charged with two felony counts of assault a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony, and eluding police in connection to Wednesday’s incident.
"It's unfortunate we have the negative Police Officers out there, giving the bad image for the good officers,” said the witness. “I appreciate that the Officers in this area are doing what they're supposed to do and I'm glad they responded appropriately and they didn't go as far as it could have.”
Tyler has been released from the hospital and is being held at Riverside Regional Jail with no bond. He is due to appear in Prince George County Court on June 19.
The Officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, per department policy.
The Virginia State Police have been called in to handle the shooting investigation.
