Self Defense? :Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm Used in a Killing on I264

Editors Note: The following press release is directly from ATF. Regular readers of AmmoLand News know our stance on the unaccountable Federal Agency: No comment. We invite our readers to leave their hard-hitting insights in the comments below.

NORFOLK, Va. – -(AmmoLand.com)-A Norfolk man pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court in 2017 of multiple felonies: malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and abduction.

According to court documents, Curtis Hathaway, 27, was involved in a shooting on I-264 in Norfolk on November 17, 2020, which resulted in the death of another driver. The decedent’s car approached Hathaway’s from the rear. The decedent began to shoot at Hathaway, striking his vehicle and Hathaway in the leg. Hathaway returned fire from the driver’s seat while driving down the interstate. The decedent was shot in the head and died.

After the shooting, the police located Hathaway at his sister’s residence in Virginia Beach. When the police arrived, they saw that Hathaway had a bullet wound in his leg and his car had multiple bullet holes and contained several spent cartridge casings. Hathaway attempted to flee from the police but was caught and detained. Police found a firearm in the bushes outside his sister’s residence. An analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) linked the firearm located in the bushes to the discharged casings in Hathaway’s car, and a subsequent forensic analysis confirmed they had been fired by the weapon. Hathaway also had gunshot primer residue on his hands, indicating he recently discharged a firearm. Also, in July 2021, Hathaway was caught by police with another semi-automatic handgun.

Hathaway is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Stolle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bosse are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-24.

Washington Field Division

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating violations of the federal firearms and explosives laws and regulations. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.