RICHMOND, Va. — Nearly nine months after being shot multiple times by the father of her child, Heather Burrow says she is still living with the physical and emotional trauma of that day.
“I still see his face in that gun,” Burrow said.
Burrow said she was shot at 10 times in February by Charles Stokes, the father of her child and a former Kenbridge police officer. Their 15-month-old daughter was in the back seat of Stokes’ car when the shooting happened. Months later, Burrow is still recovering. A bullet remains lodged in her shoulder, which she says surgeons cannot remove.
“I am starting from scratch and rebuilding my life,” Burrow said. “For anybody, that's hard. For somebody struggling with a permanent defect on their body, it's even harder. I just want to give my daughter the best life possible.”
Stokes was recently sentenced to 74 years in prison, with all but 14 years and eight months suspended. For Burrow, the sentence did not bring the sense of justice she had hoped for.
“I felt defeated,” she said. “I’m not happy with the results.”
Burrow said justice, to her, means accountability, not only for what happened during the shooting but also for what she says happened in the months leading up to it.
Earlier this year CBS 6 reporter Kelsey Jones sat down with Burrow after she filed a $143.7 million civil lawsuit alleging the Kenbridge police chief failed to protect her after she reached out for help about what she described as concerning behavior from Stokes before the shooting.
“One day, I’m gonna have to explain all of this to my daughter, and I want her to know that I fought and got justice,” Burrow said.
She also hopes her case can help prevent another person experiencing domestic violence from going through something similar.
“I don't want this incident to ever occur to anybody else in this town,” Burrow said.
Burrow and her legal team are expected to return to court in October 2027 as the civil lawsuit moves forward.
This is a developing story, so check back with WTVR.com for updates. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.
-
-
Eat It, Virginia! with Scott and RobeyUntold with Catie Beck
-
-
-
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
Facebook 
TikTok 
YouTube
Blue Sky
Instagram
Threads
X
