CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Family and friends are mourning the loss of Paterson Brown Jr., 18, the recent graduate from James River High School, who was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer Saturday morning.
Raheim Moore said he is having a tough time mourning the death of his best friend of eight years.
“I feel lost. I feel like I Iost my brother and it really hurts," said Moore.
Moore said he recently talked to Brown.
"I was talking to Paterson two weeks ago about music about how our lives are getting better as a person,” said Moore. “And then, goes out and this happens. Why? Why would he go out and do something so crazy."
Brown died from a gunshot wound following an altercation with an off-duty Richmond police officer outside a Chesterfield gas station and car wash.
A store clerk told CBS 6, Brown and two other kids came into the store bragging about partying all night. He said Brown was acting a little strange. The clerk said they left and were waiting to get a car wash behind the off-duty officer's car. When he said Brown got into the officer's car and tried to drive off.
The clerk told CBS 6 the off-duty officer told him to stop and get out of the car. Brown didn't. He said the situation escalated at that point.
Moore said Brown had been dealing with personal issues and was easily influenced by others.
"He was a person where if he was around the right people he could do a lot of good stuff, and if he were with the bad crowd. He could go off with the bad crowd and do the most craziest stuff," said Moore. "We Lost him to that bad crowd."
Moore said Brown turned to music to deal with his problems and he had a bright future ahead of him. "He wanted his life to be more meaningful than it is now. He wanted to be a musician. He wanted to be in college. He was a really smart boy," said Moore.
"I have to let his memory live in me and I have to do my best to fulfill that," said Moore.
Investigators said during the confrontation between Brown and the off-duty officer, there was a struggle.
The incident was caught on surveillance video. CBS 6 requested a copy. Chesterfield police said it was part of the investigation.
Investigators have not released the name of the off-duty Richmond police officer involved in the shooting.
