A Portsmouth,VA, police officer facing two felony charges for shooting an armed suspect running from the scene of a burglary has been denied a request for a bench trial.
Officer Jeremy Durocher will now have to face a jury.
In a video recorded by Durocher's department-issued body camera, the officer yells, “He has a gun!” when he first sees Ward running from the home and later tells fellow officers the teen “waved” the gun at him. Police found a gun, but it was inside the bottom of Ward's right pant leg.
A Portsmouth,VA, police officer facing two felony charges for shooting an armed suspect running from the scene of a burglary has been denied a request for a bench trial.
Officer Jeremy Durocher will now have to face a jury.
The trial is set to start June 13 in Portsmouth Circuit Court and last two days, but will probably need to be rescheduled or at least extended to accommodate jury selection.
Durocher was indicted last month on one count each of aggravated malicious wounding and illegal use of a firearm. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison, the Pilot reports.
The charges stem from an Oct 29, 2017, incident, in which Durocher shot 18-year-old Deontrace Ward in the back and arm as the teen ran from a burglary.
In a video recorded by Durocher's department-issued body camera, the officer yells, “He has a gun!” when he first sees Ward running from the home and later tells fellow officers the teen “waved” the gun at him. Police found a gun, but it was inside the bottom of Ward's right pant leg.
Ward, who denies pulling his weapon, pleaded guilty in June to breaking into the home, stealing some jewelry and illegally possessing a firearm. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
The department named Durocher officer of the month and gave him a medal of valor for his “heroic” efforts the day of the shooting.

A WakeMed Campus Police Officer died after being shot in the lobby of the emergency department at a North Carolina hospital over the weekend.
Read More →
Deputies in Indian River County, Florida, apprehended a suspect after he fell through the ceiling with SWAT members waiting below. The sheriff’s department released video of the apprehension.
Read More →Learn about T2 Systems and its electronic parking enforcement solutions. Retired Chief John Holland outlines the benefits of using such a system to manage parking enforcement.
Read More →
A Texas police chief shares how the Decatur Police Department will use its new Reconview observation tower.
Read More →Join POLICE as we visit with Steve Atkinson of Traka and learn about the company’s asset management cabinets and key lockers.
Read More →
Team Wendy shared data about DREW, a biofidelic helmet-test rig built to simulate real head-to-ground falls and capture both linear and rotational head motion, during the recent Personal Armour Systems Symposium in Belgium.
Read More →
The 2026 US Police and Fire Championships, featuring more than 35 Olympic-style events and new competitions, will return to San Diego, California.
Read More →
In honor of National First Responders Day, FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends will host a live audience made up of first responders and their families. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel have been invited to attend the live program.
Read More →Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
Last week, during IACP 2025, Axon unveiled what it called the next evolution of its connected public safety ecosystem. Key launches included Prepared by Axon, new Axon Assistant and Axon Air Drone as First Responder (DFR) capabilities, and Community Shield and Community Link.
Read More →