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Chief: Man who pointed gun at officer and pulled trigger arrested unharmed

Posted at 11:11 PM, Mar 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-09 10:10:34-05

RICHMOND, Va. -- Police said that Donte Watts, 24, tried to shoot a Richmond Police Officer in South Richmond Tuesday night.

Police were called to Blue Ridge Estates, near Carnation Street, at about 10:19 p.m. Tuesday. When officers arrived, they found a woman who said someone was shooting at her.

Police said no one was struck, but an apartment building and at least one car were hit by gunfire.

24-year-old Donte Watts

At the same time, police said they received calls for random gunfire in the area.

After receiving a description of the shooting suspect's car, officers spotted and pulled over a vehicle in the 6700 block of West Carnation Street.

Five people were inside the vehicle, police said.

Police said a struggle ensued between an officer and a man with a gun inside the vehicle. That man pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.

"With a gun in his hand, he put it into one of the officer's stomach," said Police Chief Alfred Durham. "The officer yelled gun, gun, gun as he heard clicking -- the other officers were able to disarm the man."

No shots were fired during the incident, and no one was injured.

All five people in the vehicle were arrested, and face various charges to be determined later, police said.

Officers recovered at least two firearms from inside the vehicle or on someone inside the vehicle.

Watts is charged with one felony count of assault of a law enforcement officer and one count of attempt of second-degree murder and is being held at Richmond City Jail.

A press conference was held Tuesday afternoon.

"People may not realize how close of a call it was; we could be having a much different press conference today," said Mayor Levar M. Stoney.  "Instead we are having a press conference about individuals involved are apprehended and off the streets."

Stay with CBS 6 for the latest on this developing story.

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