Officials have identified a sailor who was killed by Naval Security Forces Friday night following a high-speed chase on a Virginia base.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) Airman Juan Gerardo Medina-Reynaga, 25, was spotted driving erratically on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story just before 10 p.m. on Friday, according to the Navy.
He attempted to flee authorities in a 2016 Dodge Charger, and base personnel deployed automatic barriers at Gate 5, according to the Navy release.
Medina-Reynaga then turned into a Navy Exchange mini-mart where he struck a gas pump, disabling his vehicle at about 10:10 p.m.
The sailor fled on foot and a struggle ensued with base security, authorities said.
“During the altercation, Medina-Reynaga assaulted security personnel and attempted to remove a weapon from a (security forces) officer,” the release states.
A security officer then shot the sailor.
They commenced first aid, but he was pronounced dead at about 10:50 p.m., according to the Navy release.
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The security officer who shot Medina-Reynaga has been placed on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation, “which is standard operating procedure,” according to the Navy release.
Officials said that two security personnel were treated for minor injuries after the fatal altercation.
Both Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Navy Region Mid-Atlantic are probing the incident.
Originally from Kansas, Medina-Reynaga had been assigned to the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush since 2017, according to his service record.
He enlisted in 2015 and had also served on board the carrier Enterprise.
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