VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Two robbery suspects exchanged gunfire with Virginia Beach police late Thursday night before being taken into custody with the help of K9 officers.
The robbery happened just before 11:20 p.m. at a 7-Eleven in the 1700 block of S. Independence Boulevard, according to police.
Officers caught on to this robbery thanks in part to a plan that was developed to address a spree of multi-jurisdictional armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores across Hampton Roads.
Members of the 4th Precinct and Special Operations Command were surveilling operations at stores, when officers saw the two masked suspects leaving the store on S. Independence Boulevard.
One of the suspects opened fire when the officers approached, and one of the rounds went through an officer’s pent leg. The officer was not injured.
Both officers returned fire, striking the suspect once.
Police said the two suspects took off on foot after the exchange of gunfire. The armed suspect was tracked down by a police K9 and was arrested.
Another K9 found the second suspect short distance away.
The suspects were later identified as 20-year-old Jahkil Tiashion McPhail, of Virginia Beach, and 20-year-old Jasper Miles Wynn, of Chesapeake.
Wynn is charged with robbery, but police said additional charges of attempted capital murder, conspiracy, abduction, and use of a firearm a felony are forthcoming.
McPhail is charegd with two counts of attempted capital murder, conspiracy, abduction, two counts of robbery and five counts use of a firearm a felony.
Additional charges could be filed, police said.
The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of investigations by Virginia Beach’s Investigative and Internal Affairs divisions, as well as the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney.
Andy Fox will have a full update on this story tonight on WAVY News 10 at 4.