CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – State Police and commonwealth’s attorneys in the county and the city have determined shooting deaths of individuals August 29th and February 28th at the hands of Albemarle police officers were justified. The first happened late night August 29th of last year when an Albemarle officer pursued a federal fugitive he found on Route 29 who then got off onto Fontaine Avenue.
Andrew Todd Ainsworth — wanted on a federal probation violation from 2016 on a bank robbery conviction — reportedly pulled a gun from a bookbag and pointed it at officers when he was shot.

Then February 28th, an Albemarle officer happened upon Billy James Sites, who was wanted by Charlottesville Police on three criminal warrants, when he ran into some woods near Red Roof Inn at Emmet and the bypass. After refusing to surrender in a nearly 2-hour standoff, he walked across to the southside of the bypass despite being hit by 3 non-lethal rounds at times and pointed a gun at officers when 6 Albemarle officers shot him. He died at the scene.

Click here for a statement from Albemarle County Police Chief Sean Reeves as well as links to both reports.