RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A gunman and a Virginia State Trooper are dead after the suspect open fired at a Greyhound bus station on North Boulevard in Richmond.
Virginia State Police confirm that 37-year-old Trooper Chad Phillip Dermyer died in the hospital Thursday night as a result of his gunshot wounds. Police have yet to release the suspect’s name but they say that the suspect had a criminal past.
Dermyer, a native of Jackson, Michigan, is survived by his wife and two children.
Shooting Summary:
One suspect – shot, dead
One trooper – shot, dead
Two female bystanders – shot, injured
Two other bystanders — injured, unknown how
In addition to Dermyer, four other bystanders at the scene were also injured. Two of the bystanders were shot; it is unknown at this time how the other two were injured.
According to Virginia State Police, troopers were alerted at 2:45 p.m. to a shooting incident at the Greyhound Bus Station at 2910 N. Boulevard in the City of Richmond.
The incident occurred during a VSP training exercise, according to officials. During the exercise, troopers were questioning passengers getting off of buses. Dermyer approached a male subject just inside the front doors of the bus station. During the course of talking with the male subject, the male pulled out a handgun and shot the trooper multiple times. As the male subject continued firing his weapon, two state troopers, who were nearby, returned fire. The male suspect then moved into the terminal’s restaurant.
The shooter continued to be combative as police took him into custody and EMS crews tried to render aid to him. He was transported to VCU Medical Center, where he died later Thursday afternoon. His remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy and examination. The trooper was not wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Dermyer was among approximately a dozen state police troopers participating in a specialized training on criminal interdiction practices. They had completed the classroom instruction and were conducting field practicals at the time the shooting occurred. Dermyer’s encounter with the male subject was part of the training and he was in uniform at the time of the shooting.
He had just recently transferred to the state police Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Interdiction Unit. Prior to joining the state police, Trooper Dermyer served with the City of Newport News Police Department and the Jackson, Mich., Police Department. Dermyer also served our nation for four years with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Motorcade of @VSPPIO & @RichmondPolice slowly leaving VCU medical ctr. Unclear if show of support or something else. pic.twitter.com/0dx05lX8RX
— Matthew McClellan (@Matthew8News) March 31, 2016
The FBI, a SWAT team, and Richmond and State Police officers were dispatched in response to the incident. Within moments, four ambulances had reported back to the VCU Medical Center with the injured victims.
“This is one of the saddest days I’ve seen in the city of Richmond, and I’ve been here all my life,” said City Council Member Reeva Trammell, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee.
A number of people tweeted their condolences as the story was developing.
WATCH: Police clear path for ambulances at #VCU Medical Center https://t.co/8t9O7bip5V
— 8News WRIC Richmond (@8NEWS) March 31, 2016
Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement after it was released that Dermyer had succumbed to his injuries:
“Dorothy and I are heartbroken by the senseless death of Virginia State Trooper Chad Dermyer, who died serving in the line of duty today in Richmond. Like so many brave Virginia men and women, Trooper Dermyer put on a uniform and risked his life every day to keep us safe, first as a U.S. Marine and then as a police officer. He was a husband, a father and a hero who was taken from us too soon.
“This is a loss that impacts us all. It should inspire prayers for the family, friends and fellow troopers who are mourning tonight, and gratitude for those who protect and serve. And as we grieve, we should also reflect, yet again, on how we can come together as a Commonwealth to end the senseless violence that costs the lives of too many mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters.”
The investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Sarah King from the Capital News Service contributed to this report.
