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Man shot by Va. Beach police officer sentenced to 3 years

Zyshonne Nathaniel Parker

UPDATE Nov. 18, 2019: Zyshonne Parker was sentenced to 36 months with all but 11 months suspended.

The suspended sentence is conditioned upon good behavior, according to Macie Allen, spokeswoman for the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.



VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A suspect who was shot by a Virginia Beach police officer during an incident over the weekend has been denied bond.

Police said an officer wounded 20-year-old Zyshonne Nathaniel Parker after responding to reports of shots fired in the Lake Edward area of the city.

Police Chief Jim Cervera said responding officers heard gunfire in the area before finding an armed suspect — who was later identified as Parker — near the intersection of Redkirk Lane and Pickering Street.

Prosecutors say when officers arrived they saw Parker firing a gun.  Prosecutors went on to say that officers ordered Parker to get on the ground and that’s when he pointed his gun at police.

Cervera said one of the officers was forced to shoot after Parker didn’t comply with the officer’s demands.

On Friday, Parker still had a bandage on his head from where he was grazed by the bullet.

A second shooting victim found in a nearby home shortly after this exchange appeared to have been hit by a round fired by the officer, Cervera said.

Prosecutors told the judge that investigators found 17 shell casings from the spot where Parker was firing the gun.

Parker was later charged with brandishing a firearm, assault on a law enforcement officer and four counts of discharging a firearm in a public place. He was denied bond in a hearing Friday morning.

Prosecutors believe Parker is homeless, though he says he once lived in Lake Edward and he is currently living with his sister in Norfolk.

The officer involved in the incident is on administrative leave as authorities investigate the incident.

Parker is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 28.

Stay with WAVY.com for the latest developments.