NNPD: Suspect appeared to be armed

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Officers involved in a traffic stop shooting last Friday thought the suspect they were pulling over was armed, which is why they fired their weapons.

According to Harold Eley with the Newport News Police Department, the shooting stemmed from a traffic stop just before 7 p.m. at the Interstate 664 overpass near 35th Street and Madison Avenue Dec. 12. 

Eley says two separate cars with two Newport News detectives in each one attempted to pull over Corey Moody, a man wanted on federal charges by the Drug Enforcement Association. 

The four detectives positioned themselves around the vehicle. Eley said one officer saw Moody reach for something that appeared to be a gun and fired their weapon at Moody.

Another officer heard shots fired and saw Moody's car lung forward. The officer by the driver's side of the suspect car then fell to the ground and another detective then fired shots into the suspect car as well.

The car then continued forward to the 700 block of 35th Street where it was pulled over again and Moody was pulled out.

Moody suffered gunshot wounds to his leg and back area. The only weapons recovered from the scene belonged to the officers and Eley said it does not appear as though Moody fired a weapon during the incident.

One of the officers suffered a facial injury caused by a metal fragment. Eley says police are still working to determine whether that was a gun fragment or a metal fragment from the car.

Eley said an administrative investigation is ongoing. The four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave with pay.