CHARLES AARON STOKES, 44 Meherrin River Regional Jail photo
A Kenbridge police officer remains jailed without bond on charges of shooting the mother of one of his children and fleeing law enforcement before surrendering the next evening.
Charles Aaron Stokes, 44, has retained the services of long-time attorney R. Clinton Clary, Jr. of Lawrenceville. An appearance is scheduled for March 18th in Lunenburg General District Court.
The shooting occurred Sunday afternoon, Feb. 8th, as the victim reportedly was meeting Stokes, who was off-duty at the time, to pick-up their one-yearold child.
The child reportedly was in Stokes’ car when he allegedly opened fire on the mother’s vehicle — reportedly striking the car 11 times and wounding the mother with seven of those shots. A Courier-Record photo of the vehicle showed what appeared to be eight bullet holes in the driver’s side window.
The victim served previously with Stokes in Kenbridge PD and, according to sources, when she saw the gun drawn on her, she used her training to lay low and to the right and hit the gas pedal. She was able to drive herself approximately a mile or so to the fire and rescue station on East 5th Avenue in Kenbridge, where help arrived. She was flown by helicopter to an area hospital.
A variety of sources say the victim underwent surgery and is expected to recover, and that surgeons decided to leave one bullet in her shoulder for fear that removing it could cause more damage.
Stokes moments after the shooting allegedly left the child with a loved one and then fled Lunenburg County. His vehicle was discovered later that day in Henderson, NC at a location where he worked an additional job. He allegedly took a vehicle there and eventually returned to Lunenburg, where he surrendered around 6:30 p.m. Monday night, Feb. 9th. He had been the subject of an intense man hunt and had been described by state and local agencies as “armed and dangerous.” At one point during the search, Stokes had used a burner phone to call a loved one who urged him to surrender.
Stokes also is said to have used a burner phone to call a State Trooper to make arrangements for his surrender. That trooper is said to have made the arrest. Also reportedly present during the surrender was a deputy from Brunswick County described as Stokes’ half sister.
The vehicle taken in NC reportedly was recovered at or near Kenbridge Fire Department — of which Stokes had been a member. There has been speculation from sources that Stokes may have received assistance when he returned to Kenbridge before surrendering.
Efforts to determine whether or not Stokes allegedly used a Kenbridge PD firearm or a personal weapon in the shooting were unsuccessful at presstime. There were unconfirmed reports that the gun used in the shooting was a 9mm not issued by the department.
Family members told CBS6 that the relationship between Stokes and the victim was “tumultuous.” There also have been reports of one or more previous domestic calls to authorities involving Stokes and the victim that ended with no charges.
There also have been reports that on the day in question, the victim requested that an onduty police officer to be present for the child exchange because she was afraid. No police observation occurred. Stokes earlier that morning had attended Sunday School at Kenbridge Baptist Church.
The Courier-Record asked Kenbridge Town Manager Tony Matthews for dates of employment at Kenbridge PD for both Officer Stokes and the victim. Matthews told the Courier-Record he cannot provide them. “We have been instructed not to give-out any information.”
Lunenburg County Sheriff Arthur Townsend told the Courier Record that Virginia State Police, which is now handling the case, advised his office not to release any additional information or make any statements.
The shooting and arrest of Stokes has caused an outpouring of emotion on social media. Some have asked why charges have not been upgraded by authorities to attempted murder.
Stokes, son of late Lunenburg Sheriff Charles Warren Stokes, is currently charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony, and a Felony Fugitive offense. At last report, he was being held at Meherrin River Regional Jail in Alberta and was being segregated from other inmates over concerns about the officer’s safety.
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