Fredericksburg Man Involved In Motorcycle Club Shooting Dies

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A 38-year-old North Carolina man who was involved in a shooting at the Tuckahoe Motorcycle Club on Sunday is now facing murder charges after a 47-year-old Fredericksburg man that police said he shot in the chest has died at a local hospital, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office officials said Thursday.

Police said that Ely Grimes died from his injuries and that George R. Batts, Richlands, N.C., has been charged in Grimes' death. Batts was shot at by deputies after police say he pointed a gun at officers after being told repeatedly to drop his weapon, police said earlier this week.

Batts was in possession of the gun in the parking lot of the motorcycle club, where police said Batts had shot Grimes in the chest shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday in the 1100 block of International Parkway.

Detectives were told that both Batts and Grimes were attending an event at the motorcycle club, which has a clubhouse in the business park. Deputies arrived to find that Grimes had been shot and found Batts in the parking lot holding the gun. After he failed to follow the instructions of officers to drop the gun, Batts pointed the gun at deputies, who returned fire at shot Batts and injured him, police said.

Deputies provided medical treatment to both men, who were taken to a local hospital. Batts previously faced criminal charges of malicious wounding and the use of a firm in the commission of a felony. The deputies involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave, which is protocol in such incidents, police said. The shooting remains under investigation.