A Virginia police officer is facing multiple felony charges after investigators say gunfire erupted from one moving vehicle toward another carrying two people. The Danville Police Department says 22-year-old Officer Jayquan Morton became a suspect after a sedan was struck by multiple rounds Sunday morning.
Police received the report on September 20 after a sedan carrying a male and female victim was traveling southbound on South Main Street just before the Route 29 Expressway. Investigators say a silver SUV sped up behind the sedan before multiple rounds were fired from the SUV into the victims’ vehicle.
The gunfire damaged the sedan, but neither person inside was struck. Danville Police say the suspect and one of the victims knew each other. However, the department did not provide additional information about their relationship or what investigators believe preceded the shooting.
Evidence gathered during the initial investigation pointed toward an off-duty Danville Police officer as a suspect, prompting Chief Chris Wiles to request an outside investigation. The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation subsequently took over the criminal investigation and charged Morton, who Danville Police say had been with the department for two years.
Virginia State Police Charge Off-Duty Officer With Multiple Offenses
Embedded media follows; please give it a moment to load completely.
According to the YouTube video that the Danville Police Department posted, Virginia State Police charged Morton with two counts of attempted malicious wounding, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was also charged with discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle, reckless handling of a firearm, and discharging a firearm within city limits.
Authorities then undertook what Danville Police described as a multi-jurisdictional and multi-state effort to locate Morton throughout the following day and morning. At approximately 9:52 a.m., a Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s deputy and a Virginia State Police trooper stopped Morton in Danville and arrested him without incident.
Danville Police say Morton will be placed on leave without pay pending further administrative action under Virginia’s Law-Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act. The department did not announce any final employment action against Morton, and the administrative process is separate from the criminal charges being investigated by the Virginia State Police.
Additional Jail Information Could Not Be Located
A search of the Danville JailTracker Public Roster did not turn up additional information concerning Morton’s booking or custody status at the time of writing. As a result, further details such as his listed bond, booking information, or current custody status could not be independently confirmed through that public roster.
The Danville Police Department also said no additional details about the shooting would be released because the Virginia State Police investigation remains active and ongoing. The department’s release does not identify the two victims, explain the relationship between Morton and the victim he knew, or provide a suspected motive for the gunfire.
Anyone with information concerning the shooting is being asked to contact the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 800-542-5959. Morton has been charged in connection with the incident, but the charges against him remain accusations and do not constitute a conviction.