RICHMOND, Va. -- A man who allegedly shot a Richmond Police officer after a car chase over the summer is now out from behind bars.
Dakari Reinhardt was indicted for five felonies in August, including aggravated malicious wounding of an RPD officer after a police chase and a shootout in a south Richmond apartment complex in late July.
Five months later, those charges have been null prossed and he is free.
"Null prossed and dismissed are two very different things. Null pross means the prosecutor is not going forward with the case right now and they can bring it back again in the future," CBS 6 legal expert Todd Stone said. "The prosecution has to bring him to trial within five months of the dates that probably cause was found. So essentially, he was charged with criminal information in circuit court so they have to bring him to trial within five months of the date and if they don't then he's forever released and discharged and they can't charge him again with it."
Stone said in an effort to avoid that, Richmond prosecutors have null prossed the charges so they can be recharged in the future.
Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said the case needed more investigation and they were up against a speedy trial statutory deadline.
"It's an unusual situation. I mean, sometimes you see a prosecutor release someone on bond to make it a nine-month speedy trial clock instead of five. I mean, I can't second-guess why it was done this way. But essentially, they can bring it back anytime once its null prossed," McEachin said.
Crime Insider sources told Jon Burkett that the jurisdiction where the officer lives is providing some form of security.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
