News Conference - Arrest Made in Attempted Shooting Investigation

On the morning of September 20, 2026, the Danville Police Department received a report of a vehicle being struck by gunfire while traveling southbound on South Main Street just before Route 29 Expressway. The initial investigation found that a sedan was traveling southbound on South Main Street, occupied by a male and female victim, when a silver SUV sped up to them from behind. As the SUV approached, multiple rounds were fired from the SUV into the sedan. Although the sedan sustained damage, the victims were not struck by the gunfire. The suspect and one of the victims are known to each other. When evidence in this initial investigation pointed toward an off-duty officer of the Danville Police Department being a suspect in the shooting incident, Chief Chris Wiles made a request to the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation to conduct the investigation. As a result of the investigation, the Virginia State Police charged Jayquan Morton, 22, a two-year officer of the Danville Police Department, with: • 2 counts of Attempted Malicious Wounding in violation of Code of Virginia § 18.2-26/18.2-51 • Shoot into an occupied vehicle in violation of Code Virginia § 18.2-154 • Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in violation of Code of Virginia § 18.2-53.1 • Discharge a firearm from within a motor vehicle in violation of § 18.2-286.1 • Reckless handling of a firearm in violation of Code of Virginia § 18.2-56.1 • Discharge a firearm within the city limits in violation Code of Virginia § 18.2-280 Following a multi-jurisdiction and multi-state effort to locate him throughout yesterday and this morning, at approximately 9:52 AM Morton was arrested without incident following a traffic stop in the city of Danville conducted by a Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy and a Virginia State Police Trooper. Additionally, Morton will be placed on leave without pay pending further administrative action pursuant to the Law-Enforcement Officers Procedural Guarantee Act found in § 9.1-502 of the Code of Virginia. Since this incident remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation by the Virginia State Police, no additional details will be released at this time. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 800-542-5959.