Suspected robber shot by pizza deliverer
By MARK BOWES AND JOE MACENKA | TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS
Published: September 21, 2010
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nowBuzz up!Hanover, Va. --
Three Mechanicsville men and a 17-year-old girl have been charged with attempting to rob a Papa John's Pizza delivery driver, who shot one of the robbers after being accosted with a gun, Hanover County authorities said.
The suspected armed robber, identified as Brandon D. Floyd, 26, of the 7200 block of Cold Harbor Road, was listed in critical condition yesterday at VCU Medical Center, where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the face, Hanover Sheriff's Capt. Michael J. Trice said.
"We believe that the subject was attempting to rob the delivery driver" with the help of others, Trice said. The shooting occurred just after 10:30 p.m. Sunday in the 8000 block of Possum Trail, in a small subdivision just east of the Hanover Commons Shopping Center on U.S. 301.
In addition to Floyd, police have charged Adrian R. Seay, 18, of the 7000 block of Drinkard Way; Mark W. Long, 25, of the 4300 block of Rockhill Road; and a 17-year-old girl of the same address. The girl was not identified because of her age.
Trice said the driver, who works for Papa John's Pizza on U.S. 360 in Mechanicsville, told authorities that he had just made a delivery to a house, and a man approached when he got back in his car. The driver, who wasn't identified, told investigators that the man had a rifle that he pointed at the driver and opened the car door.
The driver said he repeatedly told the man to drop his rifle, to no avail.
"The driver ultimately produced a handgun and discharged it in the direction of the gentleman with the rifle," Trice said. It appeared that a single shot was fired, Trice said. The driver was not injured in the confrontation.
Later yesterday, Trice said the gun used by the suspected armed robber turned out to be a BB gun.
Matt Trader, 23, who ordered the pizza that night, said he went outside to pay for it and noticed a car had been following the delivery driver, who pulled into Trader's driveway.
"I saw the other car go right past and I heard the door open on the other car, and I heard people get out," Trader said. "But I didn't think anything of it."
After walking back inside with an extra-large, seven-topping pizza, he heard a gunshot and rushed back outside. The delivery driver was screaming. "He said, I shot him! He tried to rob me! I had to shoot him," Trader said.
The delivery driver then asked Trader for help.
"He didn't even know he shot him in the face," Trader said. "He thought he shot him in the stomach."
Trader said he started walking toward the wounded man but slowed his pace when the man started moving. The delivery driver warned that the man still had a rifle.
The delivery driver "had his gun pointed at him because he was scared he was going to move or shoot," Trader said.
The car that apparently had dropped off the suspected robber came back, but then sped away after reaching Trader's driveway. Trader and the delivery driver saw only one suspected robber, but a neighbor across the street reported seeing a second man "crawling in the ditch" after the shooting, Trader said.
The delivery driver, although unhurt, was shaken badly, Trader said.
"He was actually really worried about the guy," Trader said.
