Man accused of felony murder of officer faces federal gun, drug charges

NORFOLK — A man facing a felony murder charge in the death of a Newport News police officer in January is now facing federal gun and drug charges from the traffic stop in which Katherine “Katie” Thyne was killed.

Vernon Evander Green II, 38, made an initial appearance in federal district court Monday afternoon.

He is being held in the Western Tidewater Regional Jail since he was booked on the new charges on Friday. Green was previously held in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, according to court records, on the felony murder and other charges without bond.

In June, a federal grand jury indicted Green, who was convicted of felonies in 2000 and 2003, on charges of possessing marijuana and a firearm — a Kel Tec P-11 pistol. Green could face up to 12 years in prison for those charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Both of those charges stem from the incident in southeast Newport News on Jan. 23 that killed Thyne, a 24-year-old rookie police officer.

Around 6:30 p.m., Thyne and another police officer were questioning Green and a woman as they were sitting in a car at MonitorMerrimac Overlook Park on 16th Street. According to Newport News police, the two were suspected of smoking marijuana.

The woman followed officer’s orders to get out of the car, but Green didn’t and instead started the car. Thyne, who was standing near the open driver’s side door, was caught in the door and dragged as it drove away, police said.

The car crashed into a small brick wall in front of a home about a block away. Police said that Thyne was “pinned” between the car and a tree at one point.

Thyne, who had graduated from police academy in June 2019 and was the mother of a 2-year-old, died of “multiple blunt trauma,” according to a state autopsy.

Green faces multiple charges in Newport News stemming from the incident, including marijuana possession, eluding police, failing to stop after a crash and felony murder — a charge leveled when a person is accidentally killed while another felony is being committed.

In a statement shared with the Daily Press by Green’s wife this year, Green said he was “deeply regretful, sympathetic and remorseful for my involvement resulting in such a horrible situation.”

Green is scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 22 on the felony murder charge in Newport News District Court, where a judge will decide if there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to circuit court.

He is due in federal district court again at 3 p.m. Thursday for an arraignment hearing, according to court documents, and will stay in custody at least until then.