NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Thirty-seven-year-old Marcus Jones wears the pain of mid-March.
A silk screen image on his black hoodie features a picture of his uncle, 45-year-old Santonio Lee.
That’s the day his uncle was killed by Norfolk Police following a high-risk afternoon pursuit with speeds up to 60 mph. Police officials told 10 On Your Side that Lee fired first. His nephew questions the use of force that afternoon along the busy Hampton Blvd and just outside Virginia International Terminals.
“Anybody, anybody could have been injured,” Jones said. “Anybody could have been hurt. Other people could be burying their loved ones right now due to the incident.”
Norfolk police, armed with felony arrest warrants, followed Santonio Lee in a chase that ended when his car slammed into a ditch along Terminal Boulevard. Jones has reviewed a cell phone video, posted to social media, that captured at least 10 rounds of police gunfire.
“I saw in the video — I saw officers running around the front of the car and I heard shots and I seen him fall,” Jones said. “And then, I see … them pulling him out of the ditch, handcuffed.”
Last week, 10 On Your Side showed you car damage caused by gunfire, the crash, and the pursuit.
With no details offered by Norfolk Police, Jones called a State Police investigator.
“His boss called me yesterday and basically was telling me that there was nothing that he could tell me,” Jones said. “The only thing that they do is collect the evidence and then they pass it off to the Commonwealth Attorney.”
Lee was laid to rest. The nephew, though, said he will not rest until he has a clear picture of what happened and why.
“I’ve reached out to a few news teams to try to come out and help get insight on what happened, … any type of information, any video footage, or anything that people may have to help us find peace,” Jones said.
After visiting the crime scene on the day of the incident, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatahi told 10 On Your Side, that after the facts are gathered, he will determine whether any use of force was justified.
