HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – A jury in Hampton recommended two life sentences plus 163 years in prison, for a man found guilty in an officer-involved shooting in Hampton.
The jury convicted Leonard Morrison of 18 charges Wednesday, including attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer.
The crime dates back to the summer of 2017, when investigators say Morrison held up the Game Stop on Hampton Roads Center Parkway. When officers tried to stop him, they say he took an officer’s gun and shot the officer with it.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Anton Bell is pleased with the outcome, “This officer did everything in his power on that particular day to try to make sure that particular suspect was not harmed and for him to struggle with him and for the defendant to take his gun and then shoot him with his own gun that was a really hard thing to see and to take in, so we’re extremely happy that the jury saw the evidence, they were able to deliberate and come to a conclusion we believe was the right one.”
“Our client Mr. Morrison has professed his innocence this entire trial. Obviously we are upset for him and he’s quite devastated at the moment, but also we respect the verdict of the jury,” said Defense Attorney James Phillips, Jr. after Wednesday’s conviction was handed down.
Morrison already faces two prior life sentences in connection to a double homicide that happened two days before the officer involved shooting.
