THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 17, 1994 TAG: 9412170231
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
An off-duty police officer was hit in the face with a gun late Thursday night when he tried to arrest one of three men suspected of holding up a couple in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
The man who struck officer Bill F. Eason escaped but was arrested minutes later by officers George McCormick and George Winn, who spotted him on Viking Drive, police said.
The other two suspects were arrested in a car in the parking lot, police spokesman Lou Thurston said.
Thurston said this is what happened:
Virginia Beach residents Anthony Williams, 28, and his wife were returning to their car in the Wal-Mart lot on Phoenix Drive just before midnight. Three men tried to rob Williams, but other shoppers saw the crime and told Eason, who intervened.
Eason was working off-duty to provide security for holiday shoppers at the store.
When Eason tried to arrest Marvin A. Belfield, 19, of Portsmouth, Belfield struck the officer with a gun and ran.
Eason was not seriously hurt.
When other officers arrived, shoppers pointed out the two other suspects, who were sitting in a car in the store lot.
Sgt. Tony Zucaro said the citizens' willingness to get involved made the arrests possible.
Belfield, of the 1300 block of Fillmore St., was charged with attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, escape from custody by force, malicious assault on a police officer and using a firearm during a felony.
The other suspects, identified as James E. Winborne Jr., 19, of the 1400 block of Green St. in Portsmouth, and Kevin A. Cassell Sr., 28, of the 2900 block of Galberry Road in Chesapeake, were each charged with attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and using a firearm during a felony.
Belfield is being held in the city jail on $35,000 bail. Winborne and Cassell are each being held on $15,000 bail.
KEYWORDS: ARREST ROBBERY ASSAULT FIREARM by CNB