Virginia Beach police said Donovon Lynch, 25, was shot by an officer on Friday night.- The department has asked Virginia state police to investigate the shooting.
- The officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Virginia Beach's police chief has asked officials from the state police to investigate the shooting of Donovon Lunch by one of the department's officers.
"The Lynch family and the involved officer each deserve a comprehensive and thorough investigation into this incident, and we appreciate the public's patience as we pursue every facet of it," Chief Paul Neudigate said in a statement sent to WAVY.
Virginia Beach police said on Monday that Lynch, 25, was shot by an officer on Friday night.
Lynch's
-Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) March 29, 2021
Police said on Monday that Lynch brandished a gun when he was approached by police, according to WAVY. Lynch's father told the local TV station that his son was legally allowed to carry a gun.
A medical examiner told WAVY that Lynch was shot in the torso and thigh.
The officer involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on administrative leave while authorities investigate the shooting.
The officer has not been publicly named, but according to WAVY, the officer is a five-year veteran of the police department.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Neudigate said there was no video evidence from Friday's shooting.
He said that body-worn camera technology allows cameras to turn on when guns are taken out of holsters, but it's "not functional" when there are issues with holsters.
Neudigate added that the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for the City of Virginia Beach will determine if the shooting of Lynch was "justified."
Lynch was musician Pharrell Williams' cousin.
Williams called the two shooting deaths a "tragedy."
"It is critical my family and the other victims' families get the transparency they deserve. VA Beach is the epitome of hope and we will get through this," he said on Twitter.