Police-Involved Shooting on I-95 South

Shooting involved Virginia State Police officer

A Virginia State trooper was injured and a suspect was killed in a shooting on southbound Interstate 95 near mile marker 116 near the Caroline-Spotsylvania county line.

A Department of Motor Vehicles special agent attempted to stop 32-year-old Herbert J. Wheeler, of Chesterfield, for reckless driving before 1:30 p.m., but Wheeler abandoned the vehicle in the median and fled.

About 2:30 p.m., the driver of a tractor-trailer reported a man tried to get in his truck when it was stopped on the shoulder near mile marker 118 so the driver could inspect a tire.

Sr. Trooper Michael Hamer later spotted Wheeler walking along the highway's right shoulder in Caroline County and put the suspect in his patrol car. The two struggled in the car and Wheeler tried to get Hamer's gun, which discharged and wounded Hamer, police said. He then shot Wheeler with another gun.

Hamer suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported by ambulance to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg with serious, non-life-threatening injuries. He is stable after surgery.

Wheeler was flown to Mary Washington Hospital with life-threatening gunshot injuries. He died early Friday.

All southbound lanes of I-95 were shut down in the area for two hours before one lane was reopened.

State police said the incident was not connected to the shooting incident on the Virginia Tech campus.

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