VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Thomas Davenport Jr. was found guilty on Thursday of attempted second-degree murder among other charges after shooting at an officer’s vehicle in Virginia Beach.
On Aug. 2, 2023, officers were searching for suspects in unmarked vehicles after reported car break ins in the Level Green area. They came upon a group of males, including Thomas Davenport and three juveniles, walking in the area near Craftsman Drive.
In the days prior, Davenport was suspected of stealing a rifle from a parked vehicle.
An officer saw someone in a driveway and made a U-turn to investigate. A male raised his arm and began shooting at the officer’s vehicle. The officer shot back twice before multiple shooters began firing at him. He was not hit by any bullets, but they shattered the glass, causing cuts to his arms. One of the bullets struck the van’s steering column six inches away from the officer.
He drove to a nearby court to wait for backup. The incident was captured on Ring surveillance footage from a nearby home.
K-9 officers found two involved juveniles hiding in a nearby bush by a church with three guns. They also found stolen property from various vehicle. Several citizen vehicles and buildings in the neighborhood were shot during the incident.
Davenport was developed as a suspect and was arrested on Aug. 8, 2023, in Norfolk after fleeing from Norfolk Police. He threw a gun onto the roof of a nearby house during the chase. In an interview at the Virginia Beach Detective Bureau, Davenport admitted to shooting at the officer’s van.
He was found guilty by a jury after a four-day trial on charges of attempted second degree murder, maliciously shooting at an occupied building, maliciously shooting at an occupied vehicle, use of a firearm, vehicle tampering and unlawfully destroying property.
Several citizen vehicles and buildings in the neighborhood were shot, one bullet piercing a wall striking the headboard of the bed where the residents were sleeping.
One juvenile was adjudicated delinquent in the Virginia Beach Circuit Court for charges of attempted second degree murder, use of a firearm, maliciously shooting at an occupied vehicle, vehicle tampering (2 counts). The second juvenile is pending trial in Virginia Beach Circuit Court on March 24, 2025.