BOSSIP first reported on the police shooting death of Donovan Lynch earlier this year. For those who aren’t familiar, Donovan Lynch was gunned down by a police officer following the rash of shootings that took place in Virginia Beach.
Source: Lynch Family / Handout
Donovan was a legal gun owner as he was the owner of a security company. Let the cops tell it, Donovan was “brandishing a firearm” when they arrived on the scene. An important piece of context to this story is that approximately 50 rounds had just been fired nearby which prompted police response. It’s likely that Donovan had drawn his weapon out of fear for his life. There is no evidence that any of those 50 rounds were aimed at him but it doesn’t seem unreasonable that a legally armed citizen would be inclined to pull a gun if that many shots are being fired in their proximity.
We say all that to say, the cop who killed Donovan, who is also Pharrell’s cousin, will be facing any criminal charges according to a report in WAVY. Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle announced yesterday that a special grand jury had decided that there was no reason to charge Solomon D. Simmons III, the officer in question, with an unlawful act. They concluded that Lynch “may have been perceived as a threat” because of the aforementioned shooting.
Sounds like some BS if you ask us. Hell, if you ask Donovan’s father too:
“While disappointed with the conclusions drawn by the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the state’s investigation, we were not surprised,” said Wayne Lynch, the father of Donovon. “It’s exactly why I’ve said from the beginning, that my son’s murder must be thoroughly investigated by federal authorities at the Department of Justice.”
There is no doubt that this family has the resources to be able to push for a DOJ investigation and we’ll be watching as this story develops further.
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