Thread: Greyhound shooting suspect was from a Chicago suburb with a long record, anger at pol

Greyhound shooting suspect was from a Chicago suburb with a long record, anger at police

POSTED 12:20 AM, APRIL 1, 2016,
BY MARK HOLMBERG AND WEB STAFF,

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia State Police confirmed the identity of the suspect who fatally shot Trooper Chad P. Dermyer Thursday afternoon at the Greyhound bus station in Richmond.

WTVR CBS 6 reporter Mark Holmberg first reported the name of 34-year-old James Brown III of Aurora, Ill., Thursday night. Here's Holmberg's report:

Why?

Why did the shooter open fire as soon as state Trooper Chad P. Dermyer approached him at Richmond's Greyhound bus station?

Why did he keep shooting and fighting till the end, as state police superintendent Col. Steven Flaherty described Thursday night?

Why was he in Richmond?

An official source identified the shooter as 34-year-old James Brown III of Aurora, Illinois.

James Brown III of Aurora, Illinois

CBS 6 found a James Brown III., an African-American with a long criminal history in Aurora, whose date of birth matches up with the information from our source.

Brown is well known to police there.

We talked to his aunt in Aurora, Edith Brown, who had helped raise Brown and had allowed him to stay with her until December, when she says she told him he had to leave.

She said, "He always liked the criminal side."

GALLERY (10 IMAGES)

She was upset about what happened, but not surprised.

"He had a lot of anger about the police in the past," she said. "He pretty much thought he wanted to be infamous . . . in terms of having a showdown. He always praised those people who got into shootouts with police."

Court records show James Brown III had been charged with attempted murder, intent to kill, aggravated battery with a firearm, failure to obey police, resisting a corrections officer, aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, aggravated battery of an unborn child, numerous drug charges, intimidation, domestic battery, felony possession of a weapon, among many driving charges.

We were unable to obtain a booking photo, and it's unclear how many charges he was ultimately convicted of and imprisoned for over the years.

Edith Brown talked with us by phone as police were on their way to her home to talk about what happened.

She said her nephew vowed that his prison days were over.

"He said he would never go back to prison again," she said. "He would fight it out with them."

James Brown III was declared dead soon after arriving at VCU Medical Center.
http://wtvr.com/2016/04/01/trooper-k...ger-at-police/

Woman hit by bullets at Greyhound station: Trooper was right in front of me

POSTED 8:35 PM, APRIL 1, 2016,
BY SANDRA JONES, UPDATED AT 09:03PM, APRIL 1, 2016

RICHMOND, Va. -- A North Carolina mother shot three times when a gunman opened fire on a Virginia State Police trooper at the Greyhound bus station in Richmond Thursday said she feels blessed to be alive.

Dominique Campbell said she witnessed the unimaginable at the terminal.

"Being there is a total different experience," said Campbell, who spoke exclusively with WTVR CBS 6 reporter Sandra Jones about the horrible experience.

She said when she first heard a pop she did not realize what was happening.

"It didn't register to maybe five seconds later. That's a gun shot," she said.

Dominique Campbell

While she was waiting at the bus station, the 41-year-old witnessed a hail of gun fire.

"[I] didn't realize I was hit. I was shot already," she said.

Campbell was one of the two surviving victims in the deadly shootout between a suspect with a lengthy criminal history and a state trooper.

"The police officer was right in front of me," she said.

Campbell said she was sitting next to where Trooper Chad Dermyer was standing when he was shot.

"I... just to touch him. I was close enough to him. I was just, 'It's OK,'" she said she told herself at the time trying to cope with the tragedy.

Campbell suffered from three gunshot wounds to her legs. One of the bullets went through her left calf and the two others punctured her left leg and struck the bone.

"For me to have been shot in the leg where I was, I am totally blessed. It should've got me up here," she said pointing to her upper body.

While Campbell is thankful to be alive, she is devastated Trooper Chad Dermyer did not survive.

"Eventually, I know it's going to hit me, but since I've been here, they help me to kind of forget," Campbell said tearing up.

"He was doing his job, taking care of his family, living his life like we all should be able to, and not have to worry," she said. "And they're in my prayers."

Campbell said God spared her life for a reason. She said she will pray for Dermyer's family and hopes to meet them one day.

Dominique Campbell

http://wtvr.com/2016/04/01/dominique...n-front-of-me/