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Norfolk police tackle a man for riding a bicycle without a headlight
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It was Christmas Eve in 2018 when Derrick Rountree got on his bike and headed to a convenience store in downtown Norfolk.
As the 43-year-old man rode past a police cruiser at about 9 p.m., an officer briefly sounded the vehicle’s siren, flashed its lights, and said something over a megaphone. Thinking the alert was meant for someone else, Rountree continued to ride on, then turned around to head back to a friend’s place at the Tidewater Gardens public housing complex where he was staying.
What happened next was captured by Norfolk police officer Aaron Christie’s body-worn camera — and has become the subject of a $1.5 million excessive force lawsuit Rountree filed against the officer last year in federal court.
The Virginian-Pilot obtained a copy of the nearly 30-minute body camera video, which was submitted as an exhibit to the case a few weeks ago by Rountree’s attorney, Christian Connell. The Pilot is publishing the first two minutes of the video, which show Christie exit his police cruiser and chase and tackle Rountree. Rountree’s right leg was broken in three places when the officer fell on him, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint argues Christie violated Rountree’s civil rights by using excessive force to stop him for riding his bike at night without a headlight, which is illegal in Virginia.
Rountree was charged afterward with the headlight infraction, as well as obstruction of justice. The obstruction charge was later dismissed, and Rountree was fined $15 for not having a headlight, court records show.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Norfolk in December 2020, argues Rountree’s actions on the video show he posed no threat to anyone, and was riding too slowly for police to claim he was fleeing from them.
Norfolk Deputy City Attorney Michael Beverly, who represents Christie, declined to comment on the case, citing the pending civil case, an ongoing criminal investigation and confidential personnel matters as the reason. Christie is still employed by the Norfolk Police Department, Beverly said.
Even if his lawsuit is successful, Rountree will not see any benefits from it. He was killed in a daytime shooting near a Shop ‘N Go market on East Virginia Beach Boulevard this summer. His family has said he was an innocent bystander and unintended target. The family, however, is continuing to pursue the lawsuit against Christie. According to Rountree’s obituary, he was the father of three children.
No arrests have been made in his shooting death, and Norfolk police didn’t respond to a request for more information about the case.
The body camera video recorded the night of the bike incident in 2018 starts with Christie in his patrol car with a partner. Christie then gets out of the vehicle and starts running after Rountree, who is seen riding slowly down a sidewalk between two buildings in Tidewater Gardens.
Christie says nothing until he’s just steps from Rountree, the video shows. The officer yells, “Stop,” one time. Just as he does, Rountree turns around and is knocked to the ground, with Christie falling with him.
As Rountree lies on the sidewalk crying out in pain, he asks the officer why he snatched him off his bike.
“Why you do that to me, bro?” Rountree asks. “I ain’t do nothing.”
“You have no light (on your bicycle),” Christie responds. “We tried to stop you. You tried to run.”
“For real?” Rountree asks as he continues to cry out in pain. “You serious man? I didn’t know you had to have a light for a bike.”
An ambulance was called and Rountree was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment. There, it was discovered his right tibia and fibula bones were broken in three places. He underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for several days, according to the lawsuit.
The video shows medics loading Rountree onto a gurney at the scene of the incident, and Christie can be seen going through Rountree’s backpack and wallet. Rountree, who was working as a barber at the time, tells him all that’s in the bag are his hair cutting clippers.
During a deposition taken earlier this year, Christie’s lawyers asked Rountree why he didn’t stop when the officer and his partner sounded their siren, flashed their lights and called out on the megaphone.
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