Arrest made after multiple Women Stuck by paintballs in same evening

Andrew Crider
Online News Editor

Freshman Business major Rose Harvey was walking along W. Main St. in the late hours of April 10 when a small four door car pulled up beside her. Immediately, the men inside tried to get her attention.

“They began catcalling me, saying things like “hey baby how are you doing?” and whistling, honking their horn, trying to get me to engage with them,” Harvey said.

She kept walking and ignored the continued catcalling, that’s when Harvey was fired upon.

“I felt something hit me in the side of the head, they then screamed “bitch” and drove away,” Harvey said.

Multiple pedestrians, three which were VCU students, were struck by paintballs near the Monroe Park Campus the same night. The suspects, 18-year-old London Fleming and 20-year-old Isiah Crawford, both residents of Richmond, were taken into custody and charged with simple assault and brandishing a firearm. Crawford was also charged with possession of marijuana.

The two had allegedly driven around the streets of N. Harrison and N. Franklin harassing pedestrians before opening fire with their gas operated weapon.  

The VCU Police Department received three reports of pedestrians struck by paint balls between the hours of 11 p.m and midnight from April 10 to 11. Two of the reports were made some time after the incident.

The first of the incidents occurred on the 500 block of N. Harrison St. when a woman reported that she was struck by a paintball. In the second incident, two males and one female said they were struck by paintballs at the intersection of N. Harrison and W. Franklin St.

A few days later, a female reported that she was struck with a paint ball near the 1100 block of West Main Street at around 10:30 pm. The investigation on this incident is active, however, VCU police officials indicated that they believe that the incidents are connected.

Harvey filed a online police report the next day and said she was contacted by the police hours later. She first went to VCU Health to be cleared of injuries before contacting the police again.

“I spoke to one officer who was very helpful and supportive and he asked me if I noticed that there was anything in my hair after I got hit,” Harvey said. “He asked if I wanted to prosecute and I told him yes. I don’t want to be assaulted and let the people that did it get away with it.”

Harvey said that despite the incident she still felt safe on campus knowing that the men who shot her in the back of the head with a paintball gun were off the streets.

“However, I have noticed that I avoid walking anywhere now and for a few days I didn’t want to leave my room because I was afraid something else would happen,” Harvey said.

Online News Editor, Andrew Crider

Andrew is a junior economics major who has written for student newspapers since he was in high school. Andrew is interested in political history, aviation, photography and running. He has a tendency to refer to his peers, coworkers and bosses as “ma’am” or “sir,” but is getting better about referring to his friends at the CT by their first names instead. // Facebook

crideraa@commonwealthtimes.org