HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) — Nearly four years after Richmond Fire Lieutenant Ashley Berry was gunned down in Hopewell while shielding her five-year-old son from gunfire on Thanksgiving Day, police believe they have found her killer.
Darrell Donnell Taylor Jr., 30, of Hopewell, was indicted by a grand jury on Aug. 8, 2023, on charges of Murder, Use of a Firearm While in the Commission of a Felony, Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Shooting into an Occupied Building in connection to Berry’s death. Taylor is currently in custody at Lawrenceville Correctional Center on other unrelated charges and will be arraigned at a later date.
“This tragic incident occurred almost four years ago and yet the officers and detectives working this investigation never gave up hope,” said Interim Police Chief Taylor in a statement. “This arrest serves as a reminder of our pledge to doing everything in our power to solve crime within our city. We will never stop seeking justice for our victims.”
Lt. Berry, a 33-year-old mother of three and veteran of the department since 2011, was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day 2019 while shielding her 5-year-old son from gunfire.
Authorities responded to the 1000 block of Sunnyside Avenue around 11:40 p.m. Thanksgiving 2019 after receiving reports of a shooting. At the scene, officers found Berry with serious gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at VCU Medical Center the following day.
In December 2019, Hopewell Police arrested a person of interest in connection with Berry’s death, but police said the person was arrested on unrelated charges and continued to offer a $5,000 reward for information that lead to the arrest of Berry’s killer.
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