CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Deonta M. Blount, the man charged with shooting a Virginia State University police officer Sunday morning, appeared in court Wednesday.
Blount, 21, appeared via video during a hearing at Chesterfield County Court where he is charged with aggravated malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer and use of a firearm in the commissions of aggravated malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer.
While not much happened at the hearing and Blount's family in the courthouse declined to comment on the case, CBS 6 has learned some information about Blount's criminal history.
Blount faced two charges last summer for obstruction of justice and assault of a law enforcement officer. Those charges were set aside by prosecutors for reasons not yet made clear to CBS 6.
On Sunday morning, VSU police officer Bruce Foster was shot while trying to diffuse a group disturbance near the school's campus. The campus was placed on lockdown for several hours following the shooting. Foster was hospitalized and last listed in stable condition.
Blount was arrested Tuesday.
"On behalf of the leadership of Virginia State University and the entire Trojan Family, we extend our gratitude to all law enforcement officials who were instrumental in the arrest of a suspect in the shooting of our VSU Police Officer, Bruce Foster," a Virginia State University spokesperson wrote in an email. "According to University records, Deonta M. Blount is not, and has not ever, been registered as a VSU student."
Virginia State University sophomore Toryelle Coleman was up at his dorm early Sunday and heard the emergency response surrounding the shooting.
“I heard a whole bunch of sirens coming down this road. I heard an ambulance, a fire truck," Coleman said. "I heard a helicopter overhead, and it was circling for about 30 minutes."
Coleman said Virginia State has gotten better at alerting students when something bad happens nearby, but said he worried those outside of campus get the wrong impression about the school he loves.
"I’ve seen it on social media multiple times, where community members are mad a VSU for violence, when most of the time, the majority of the time, it’s people coming from outside the community coming to VSU to commit the violence," Coleman said.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. Anyone with information was asked to call Chesterfield Police at 804-748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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