VA trooper dies after traffic stop shooting

A Virginia State Police special agent died Saturday morning at Richmond's VCU Medical Center after being shot Friday night while conducting a traffic stop, officials said.

"Special Agent Michael T. Walter, 45, succumbed to his injuries shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday (May 27, 2017) at VCU Medical Center in Richmond," Virginia State Police said in a statement. "Special Agent Walter, a Powhatan County resident, is survived by his wife, Jaime, and two sons and a daughter, ages 14, 9 and 6, respectively."

Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, said at a press conference Saturday morning, "Mike is well-known not only for his passion for criminal justice, but also for his commitment and passion to bettering the lives of local youth. Mike founded and ran a non-profit organization, the Powhatan Youth Wrestling and Community Development Corporation, through the Black Hawk gym. For him and Jamie, this wasn't about making a profit. It was about making a difference for disadvantaged youth by mentoring them and fostering their talents through physical fitness and sportsmanship."

Police said 27-year-old Travis A. Ball of Richmond is being held without bond on charges that include malicious wounding. He was arrested Saturday after an overnight manhunt.

"At 7:25 p.m. Friday (May 26), a Richmond Police Officer and the State Police Special Agent observed a car pull up to the curb and park the wrong way in the 1900 block of Redd Street," read a statement from the Virginia State Police. "The Richmond Police Officer was in uniform and driving a marked Richmond Police SUV. The Richmond Police Officer and Special Agent walked up to the car and struck up a conversation with the driver as part of a consensual encounter. During the course of the encounter, the Special Agent was shot by the passenger in the car, who fled on foot."

The driver of the car remained at the scene and was detained by Richmond Police.

According to ABC affiliate WRIC, Mosby Court, the neighborhood where the shooting occurred is considered one of the most violent and dangerous neighborhoods in Richmond. WRIC reports that six of the 19 homicides that have occurred in the city this year have been in Mosby Court.

"This has been one of the most challenging communities in the city this year," Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham told WRIC. "The challenge is we have bad people in this community."