NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — 10 On Your Side has an exclusive look at the remnants of the sedan 45-year-old Santonio Lee was driving when he was killed last week in a reported exchange of gunfire with Norfolk Police.
The violence started with a high-speed chase that snaked through tight residential streets off Hampton Boulevard and ended on Terminal Boulevard near Virginia International Terminals.
The wreckage of the 2021 Nissan Altima now sits in a graveyard of sorts for heavily damaged vehicles. Video from the scene exposed part of the wreckage, but it does not begin to reveal the extent of the damage that took police during pursuit.
Police said Lee, who was released from prison in January, was wanted for
several outstanding charges in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The owner of the car, Jessica C., who was Lee’s girlfriend, has reviewed every inch of damage that tells the tale of the last minutes of the 45-year-old’s life.
“The vehicle is completely totaled,” Jessica C. said. “There are four gunshot holes to the trunk. A bullet hole through the headrest, two on the driver’s side in the front, and it’s completely dismantled.”
But the damage does not answer her question of why police launched the high-risk effort to arrest Lee, who lived with Jessica C. in Hampton.
Regina Mobley: You have a lot of questions. The family has a lot of questions. Are you asking yourself, why didn’t they just serve the arrest warrant to your home?
Jessica C.: Of course. They never came to my home, ever. They never came to my home.
After the Nissan crashed into a ditch, a video captured by passersby and posted to Facebook appeared to show Lee crawling from his car as officers in uniform fired about 10 shots. The officers dragged Lee away from the car as other officers, some in tactical gear and carrying long guns, rushed to the scene. It appeared Lee’s hands were behind his back and at one point, it appeared Lee was able to move his legs during the arrest. Lee was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. The entire matter is under investigation by Virginia State Police.
Funeral services for Lee are set for Wednesday afternoon at a Norfolk church.
