Cop knew Lynch prior to shooting

Officer not ID’d; family makes call for investigation

The officer who killed Donovon Lynch personally knew him and the friend Lynch was with the night of the March 26 shooting, the family’s attorney said at a Monday press conference.

In a series of explosive allegations, attorney Jeff Reichert also said that Lynch’s body was moved after the shooting and that police shot another citizen that night — someone who was coming to Lynch’s aid.

In a statement, Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney said that Lynch’s body was only moved a short distance away to render aid in a safer area.

Virginia Beach police did not respond to the other claims, deferring additional questions to Virginia State Police, who have taken over the investigation.

Reichert did not say how Lynch and his friend knew the officer, but one of Lynch’s relatives previously told The Pilot that Lynch went to high school with the officer.

Police have not identified the officer who shot Lynch, other than to say he is Black.

“The police officer knew Donovon and the man that he was with. They weren’t best friends, but he knew who he was,” Reichert said. “And Donovon is not an easy miss. He’s 6-4 and 300 pounds. “

Reichert, who has known the Lynch family for years, also offered details about Lynch’s injuries that the police have not divulged. He said Lynch was shot two times — once in the leg and once in the chest — as he was walking back to his car with a friend.

He said his claim about the second person being shot by an officer was based on statements from witnesses who had not spoken to police. That person was shot in the hand, the attorney said.

Reichert also clarified details about whether Lynch was armed with a gun that night. He did have a weapon, Reichert said, but it never left his pocket. Lynch owned a gun, which was licensed, in connection with a security company he started, the lawyer

said.

Police have claimed that Lynch was “brandishing” a gun, a reversal from saying that there was no evidence a gun found nearby was his.

The officer who shot Lynch did not have his body camera on.

Gary McCollum, a member of the Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference, said the new details offered Monday contradict the police’s narrative.

“There are just too many unanswered questions,” he said.

Reichert said Lynch was shot at 11:52 p.m. near a tree at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 20th street, where the press conference and vigil have since been held. Lynch was then placed on a gurney and moved by the intersection of 19th street and Pacific Avenue, near where Deshayla Harris — the second person killed that night — was shot and killed, he said. Reichert, who cited TV footage as evidence, claimed later that the police did so to make Lynch’s shooting appear to be connected to Harris’.

In his statement, Duhaney refuted the claim, saying firefighters and police officers carried Lynch about half a block on 20th Street, between Atlantic and Pacific avenues to provide aid in a safer area. He said Harris was treated where she was found, at the corner of Pacific Ave. and 19th Street and that the two were not moved to be close to each other. He said EMS and fire personnel determined Lynch was dead shortly after he was moved.

“EMS and Fire crews followed guidelines for responding to active shooter and multiple casualty incidents,” Duhaney said in the statement. “In those cases, patients are rapidly removed by rescue teams to secured areas where more effective treatment can be safely provided.”

The press conference was held as Lynch’s family called for a federal investigation into the shooting. Pop music artist Pharrell Williams, Lynch’s cousin, has already called for such a probe. Duhaney said that the city will cooperate fully if the federal government becomes involved in the investigation.

The family on Monday also demanded that the police: retract their use of the word “brandishing”; identify the officers involved in the shooting; provide regular updates to the family and the public; and create and fund an expanded citizen review board to investigative these incidents.

Friends and family have described Lynch as a deeply religious man who was funny, kind and driven. He played football at the University of Virginia at Wise and graduated in 2019 with a degree in physical education.

Wayne Lynch, Donovon’s father, said he was angry and frustrated with the “inhumane” way his son has been treated since that night.

“This is not over. This is just beginning,” said Lynch, surrounded by family and family at the press conference. “We want justice for Donovon Lynch and we will get it.”