Man Sentenced to 8 Years After Pleading Guilty to Shooting 2 People in 2022
NORFOLK, Va. — Christopher Jamal Byas, 28, was sentenced on Friday to serve eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of malicious wounding for shooting into a vehicle and injuring two people in 2022.
On Aug. 7, 2022, Mr. Byas shot into a vehicle that the two victims were inside on Alexander Street. The victims told responding Norfolk Police officers that Mr. Byas had approached the car and shot them. The victims were familiar with Mr. Byas and believed that Mr. Byas shot them because one of them had given information to the police investigating another crime. Investigators obtained warrants for Mr. Byas’ arrest, and Mr. Byas was a fugitive until March 22, 2023, when he was arrested in Virginia Beach for this incident.
On Jan. 31, Mr. Byas pleaded guilty to malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of malicious wounding. Judge Tasha D. Scott accepted his Mr. Byas’ plea agreement, under which the court could sentence Mr. Byas to serve up to eight years in prison. On Friday, following argument from the Commonwealth and Mr. Byas’ lawyer, Judge Scott sentenced Mr. Byas to serve eight years in prison and suspended another five years on the conditions that Mr. Byas be of uniform good behavior for five years, complete three years of supervised probation following his release, complete treatments for mental health, substance abuse and anger management, and have no contact with the victims.
“We take all violence seriously, but gun violence and retaliatory violence are particularly aggravated,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “People who cooperate with law enforcement are helping to protect the community, and we will protect them by prosecuting the people who act violently toward them.”
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Gordon C. Ufkes prosecuted Mr. Byas’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Kyle G. Phillips led the investigation.
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