NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A Norfolk police officer is taking a suspect to court after that person fired two shots at the officer nearly a year ago.
The defendant was holed up in a house at 8810 Semmes Ave. Nov. 26, 2023 when the officers arrived at his front door. There was a big police presence up and down Semmes Avenue.
Responding to a 911 call, Norfolk Police Sgt. Chris Deuell tried to gain entrance to the home, while Chad Harrison pushed back. According to the incident narrative, home video will show Harrison on the other side of the door.
“The suspect defendant shoots two times with a long gun through the door, one bullet almost hitting my client,” said Deuell’s attorney, Tim Anderson, who noted the bullet came within inches of hitting his client.
The two officers retreat and play a waiting game.
Harrison was eventually taken into custody. There was a picture of Harrison coming out of the house after the standoff with his arms spread like wings.
However, Anderson said the damage was done, the bullet proximity impacted Deuell.
He now lives with post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a mental health condition.
“He has been diagnosed with PTSD,” Anderson said. “He was unable to work. He suffered intentional injuries due to what happened to him.”
Deuell does not appear in this report because he has filed a lawsuit that still needs to play out.
“He’s looking to recover the money that he’s spending to address those mental health injuries from this incident,” Anderson said.
But it is more than just that. Anderson claims his client’s life has changed because of this incident.
“The inability to sleep through the night, reliving this moment over and over in your head, the fact is, this officer almost lost his life because of the intentional actions of the guy with the gun,” Anderson said.
The 911 call put all officers on high alert responding to a domestic situation — a husband barricaded in the house.
“The defendant shouting, ‘You’re not coming in,’ is resisting that arrest, making that situation more and more dangerous, and then he shoots,” Anderson said.
Now, Harrison is claiming the shots he fired were accidental discharges of the gun,
Anderson said.
“Now, you might be able to get away with one shot, but he shot twice and one of those bullets nearly hit my client,” Anderson said.
Harrison was charged with a felony unlawfully discharging a firearm in the house, but he was able to plead guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduction.
“He should have been charged with trying to shoot at a police officer,” Anderson said. “He should be in jail for that attempt, but in Norfolk, when he tries to shoot a police officer, they call it an accident, even though he was shot twice, … and now you get disorderly conduct like being drunk in public.”
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi told 10 On Your Side that he can’t comment on pending court cases, but Anderson thinks Fatehi believed they were accidental shootings.
“It is clear that they thought it was an accident,” Anderson said, “and that’s why, or maybe better said, maybe they couldn’t prove that it was intentional.”
Anderson thinks that’s the case because you have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
10 On Your Side went to Chad Harrison’s home, but no one answered.
Deuell is seeking, at the very least, $50,000 for intentional infliction of emotional distress.