At approximately 8:48 p.m. Friday, Richmond Police were called to the 1400 block of Overlook Street for a report of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Christopher A. Johnson, 22, last known address 6700 block of Elk Lane, dead in the street from a gunshot wound. As a result of officers’ quick response and investigation, Brandon L. Spence, 24, of the 1400 block of Overlook Street, was identified as a suspect. He was arrested and charged with murder. The motive for this homicide appears to be an argument between the pair, who knew each other.

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Richmond Police are looking for a man who stabbed and raped a woman in the 1800 block of Edwards Avenue just before midnight on Saturday. The woman told police the unknown man grabbed her and dragged behind a home where he assaulted her. The rapist is described as a white male, age 18 to 20. He was last seen wearing a lime green shirt, blue jeans and riding a blue bike toward Fairfax Avenue. The bike had the word “mountain” on the side of it.

The RTD is reporting on a proposal that may move the city jail across the river:

A group that includes prominent contractors, architects and the law firm of state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond, has submitted an unsolicited proposal to build a jail for the city of Richmond, perhaps off Commerce Road in South Side.

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Chief Bryan T. Norwood and members of his Command Staff will conduct a community walk through tonight in the Oak Grove community. The walk-through starts at 6 p.m. at Oak Grove Park (2200 Gordon Avenue). Groups will fan out through the Gordon, Fairfax and Halifax area to speak with residents and business owners about their concerns.

Robert Lee Payne, 58, of the 400 block of Deter Road, is was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated assault, malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the shooting of a woman inside a residence in the 400 block of Laveta Drive. Her injury is not life threatening.

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The Richmond Police Department is asking for help identifying two males involved in a domestic-related sexual assault that occurred about 9AM on Sunday, February 14th in the 4000 block of Midlothian Turnpike. The female victim reported two men forced their way into her apartment where one man beat her and the other sexually assaulted her. Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers at (804)780-1000.

Rap, lies, and videotape identifies the victim in the shooting last night:

Police are still withholding the name of local rapper killed in a recording studio last night. But sources say the victim was known as “Mike Ezie,” a member of a collective of emcees known at the “Young Richmond Outcasts.” Their songs include “Weirdo Stank,” “Let the Cops Everything,” and “My Buddy and Me.” The group, which consists of ChiChi the Kid, Heir Borne, Jwrek, Jaesen K, Jay Dash, Real and Mike Ezie, incorporated the logo and spelling from the Atlanta rap duo, “Outkast.”

The Richmond Police Department consists of four precincts. The entire police department has as its head officer Police Chief Norwood. The department is then separated into two areas which are presided over by Major Margaret Horn and Major John Keohane. The two areas are in turn separated into four precincts, and each one has a captain who is responsible for the precinct. Each precinct is further divided into three sectors, which has a lieutenant who acts as the commanding officer. There are over 300 officers serving the Richmond City area.

Lieutenants are directly accountable for the control of crime within his sector. On a daily or weekly basis, the captain will meet with the lieutenants to obtain information about the crime issues that are most prevalent, and the methods the lieutenants are using to reduce crime spikes and improve community awareness.

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Due to a lack of confirmatory information, the source of this report can’t be released, but the word is that a 19 year-old man was shot by an adult who was attempting to rob the young man at the corner of Roanoake and Midlothian at about 1:30 today. There was no report as to the status of the young man or the suspect.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers or the Richmond Police Department.

Look for further information here as it becomes available.

It’s hard to believe that three people have been murdered on the Southside in one week.

The good news is that the suspected murderers of LaMoan Kahlil Hart are in custody. On October the third, according to the Richmond Police Department, “Terrell A. Collins, 31, of the 100 block of East 15th Street, turned himself in.” Additionally, Rashaad T. Comer, 27 of the 1600 block of Kingswood Street, was arrested on 10/2/08.

On the same day that Terrell Collins turned himself in, the Bruce Street Brothers double slaying took place. So far there are no announced suspects, but the next of kin have been notified.

You can read more about the Bruce Street Brothers murder at the Times-Dispatch.

Anyone with information about these crimes is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 780-1000 or to call the Richmond Police Tips Line at 514-TIPS (8477).

As further proof of their exemplary effort to fight crime, the Richmond Police Department released the following:

Richmond Police quickly made arrests in two robbery attempts and a robbery that occurred within hours last night in the City’s Southside.

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This is an update of the story that was published earlier as a suspicious death, which has been clarified as a hit and run by the Times-Dispatch.

Richmond police say today they’re asking for the public’s help in identifying the victim of a fatal hit-and-run and the two vehicles that struck him.

The victim was first hit by a white Toyota Corolla about 11 p.m. Friday as he was trying to cross Broad Rock Boulevard near its intersection with Epperson Avenue. The Toyota continued north on Broad Rock, the Richmond Police Department said in a release.

Shortly afterwards, the man was hit again at the intersection of Broad Rock and Epperson by a burgundy Ford Expedition. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not carrying identification, police said.

The man struck was described as a Hispanic male in his late 30s to early 40s.

Howard Scott is only 17, but he may be serving three life sentences. I knew him. I could see he was going to have a troubled future. He was sixteen and already had two children, at least that is what I was told. One day he told me his girlfriend had a miscarriage. I lamented then as well as now.

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Thanks to the Richmond Police Department’s efforts, four men have been arrested and charged for armed robbery.

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