Richmond, Virginia

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch of February 18, 2006

Self-defense ruled in fatal shooting

Charges against VCU student are dropped in the Dec. 10 death

A murder charge against a Virginia Commonwealth University student in the shooting death of a 19-year-old Richmond man was withdrawn after authorities determined the student acted in self-defense.

The Richmond commonwealth's attorney's office confirmed yesterday that Omari Al-Qadaffi, a VCU senior majoring in computer science, has been cleared in the Dec. 10 shooting death of Lawarren Arkeis Williams on Mosby Street. At the time, Al-Qadaffi's father insisted his son had shot Williams in self-defense after being confronted outside a coin laundry by Williams and another man, one of whom had a gun.

Wajid Al-Qadaffi had said the confrontation was the culmination of a long-running conflict with his family initiated by a group known as the "700 Boys," a reference to the block on which they live in Mosby Court.

Omari Al-Qadaffi did not admit his involvement in the shooting until a police canvass of the area brought investigators to his door. He was charged after he declined to provide police with additional information about his involvement.

After Al-Qadaffi's arrest, however, authorities were able to obtain crucial information from the student after working with his lawyer, defense attorney Christopher Jones.

"He was initially uncooperative, but once he talked with us and gave us all the information, everything he said was forensically correct," said Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Learned D. Barry. "All the information was verified, and we determined that he fired in self-defense."

Murder and gun charges were officially withdrawn in Circuit Court on Jan. 12.