VCU student Michelle Antogiovanni wrote the following article for Dr. Jeffrey South’s Mass Communications class; Dr. South was nice enough to share it with us (any formatting issues hereabouts are my fault). A different piece along the same lines from Michelle also appears in the VCU Commonwealth times. Thanks to Michelle and Dr. South!

The recent shooting at a Baskin-Robbins in Stratford Hills has left one man dead, a store manager facing an investigation and a community struggling to find ways to fight crime.
The shooting happened at about 9 p.m. on Sept. 6 at the ice cream shop at 6940 Forest Hill Ave., when Jerome Davis, 43, tried to rob the business, according to police reports. He carried what police later determined to be a BB gun.

David Fielding, 21, the store’s shift manager, fired several times with a pistol, authorities said. Two of the shots struck Davis – one in the hand the other in the back. Shots also hit a window, shattering glass.

Davis, wounded, left the scene, and was tracked later by a police K-9 team two blocks from the Baskin-Robbins. He was found in the yard of his home with cash that police believe had been taken from the ice cream parlor. Davis died at VCU Medical Center.

It wasn’t the first robbery of the store. Fielding had been on duty when another man robbed the store Aug. 14. Following that robbery, Fielding purchased a 9 mm handgun and took it with him to the store, investigators said.

Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring said that it may take a month for the state to complete its investigation and decide whether to file charges against Fielding.
Investigators are trying to determine where Davis was when he was shot because shell casings from the weapon fired were found both inside and outside the store. Currently, there is no indication that Davis used his BB gun.

Because of the sensitive nature of the case, many details have not been released to the public.
Crime is a growing concern for Stratford Hills and other Richmond residents. Aware of the problem, police recently placed robbery alert alarms in select businesses in the area. The alarm systems were placed especially in businesses that have been burglarized or robbed frequently. Now, with a push of a button, store personnel there can notify police of a crime in progress.
Such alarm systems have been used in other localities such as Henrico County.
Officer K. A. Walker of the Henrico County Division of Police said the alarms send prerecorded messages to authorities patrolling the area. This saves time: Police can respond to the call about five minutes faster than usual. Normally, a call would first be made to a dispatcher, who would then notify an officer, who would then go to the scene.

Some Stratford Hills residents have expressed concern about the safety of their neighborhood. On the community Web site HillsandHeights.net, one resident said she heard about the shooting on the news and instantly locked her doors.

Other residents of the area are putting their words into action by signing a petition asking Herring not file charges against Fielding.

The petition was started by Richard Diggs, who believes Fielding may have acted in self-defense. About 500 people have signed the petition.

Virginia law allows people to use deadly force in self-defense only when their safety is threatened. Herring said he won’t press charges against Fielding unless an investigation shows that Fielding acted in a manner other than self defense.