CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA – Police have arrested a suspect who allegedly shot at and wounded a Chesterfield County Police officer on Wednesday night.
Around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a reported shooting in the 5400 block of Remuda Drive.
As some officers worked to locate the shooting victim, other responding officers began patrolling the area and observed a "suspicious vehicle" on Cogbill Road.
The officers initiated a traffic stop in the area of Castlewood Road and Treetop Apartments. As they approached the vehicle, a passenger exited, fired several rounds at the officers, and fled, according to police.
One officer was struck in his leg; he had non-life threatening injuries.
Officers set up a perimeter in the area and remained on scene through the night searching for the suspect, who was identified as Lynell Alexander Jr., 33, of the 4000 block of Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond.
Alexander was captured Thursday and charged with attempted capital murder, malicious wounding, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene.
The victim of the initial shooting, which remains under investigation, was located at an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police continue to investigate this incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Chesterfield Police immediately at 804-748-1251.
Surveillance video shows officers running from gunfire
Surveillance video obtained by CBS 6 show the moment officers ran from gunfire during the traffic stop.
The video from the Treetop Condominiums show a Chesterfield Police cruiser follow a four-door sedan through the complex parking lot.
The cruiser’s light bar is activated and the suspect’s vehicle stops at the entrance on Castlewood Road.
About 30 seconds later, the responding officers are seen running away from the suspect’s vehicle.
Trees obscure the view of the gunfire and the passenger fleeing from the scene, based on the account by police.
The officers walk back toward their cruiser with flashlights about 40 seconds after the shooting.
Police then direct the driver of the vehicle in handcuffs to sit behind the cruiser as residents gather nearby.
Teyla Connolly’s Ring doorbell later captured officers in tactical gear combing through her North Chesterfield neighborhood.
“They had the dogs out and they were running in between both of our yards for hours on end,” she described. “Immediately you go into all defense mode, you’re nervous, you’re scared, and you don’t know what to expect.
Connolly’s family lives about a mile from the Treetop Condominiums. Police urged residents to shelter inside their homes as they searched for the suspect.
“You think about the situation -- maybe I should have better security at my home in case somebody might knock down my window or try to get in my back door,” Connolly said. “I didn’t lock my car last night. So, could he be in my car hiding? Is he in my shed? There’s no lock on my shed.”
Connolly and her neighbors planned to add extra security measures around their homes following the manhunt.
Cheryse Lawrence sat in her car for three hours waiting for police to reopen Cogbill Road during the manhunt.
She described officers blocking every side street as they searched for the shooter.
“Oh somebody was running, they’re looking for somebody,” she recalled.
Lawrence, who lives near the crime scene, pulled into her driveway just after 1:15 a.m. Thursday.
