The Latest: Va. murder suspect shot by police identified

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Latest on a police shooting that killed a Virginia murder suspect in South Carolina (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Police in Virginia say a man shot to death by officers in South Carolina was the suspect in the violent death of an 80-year-old man in his home.

Danville, Virginia, Police say in a news release that 22-year-old Richard London stole Melvin Powell’s car after killing him Sunday.

Authorities say two officers in Lake City spotted the stolen car around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and were fired upon when they tried to pull it over. London was killed and the officers were not hurt in the gunbattle.

Police have not given a motive or said how Powell was killed. They say London was the only suspect, and they are still trying to find Powell’s family to talk to them about his death.

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2:05 p.m.

Investigators have identified a man wanted on a murder charge in Virginia who was shot and killed by police who pulled over a stolen car in South Carolina.

Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken said in a news release that 22-year-old Richard London died about two hours after being shot early Tuesday morning.

Interim Lake City Police Chief Jeff Johnson said two of his officers shot London after he fired on them when he was pulled over on one of the busiest highways in the city of 7,000 about 65 miles east of Columbia.

The names of the officers have not been released.

Johnson says London was wanted on a murder charge in Danville, Virginia. Police there didn’t respond to a message seeking more information.

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9:55 a.m.

Authorities say a man wanted for murder in Virginia has been killed after shooting at police officers in a small South Carolina city.

Interim Lake City Police Chief Jeff Johnson said the officers weren’t injured in the gunbattle about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday on one of the busiest highways in town.

Johnson says the officers stopped the car on U.S. Highway 52 after determining it was stolen.

The name of the man shot hasn’t been released, but Johnson says he was wanted for a murder charge out of Danville, Virginia. The chief did not have details.

The names of the officers weren’t released. The State Law Enforcement Division says the man killed was white, while one officer was black, and the other was Hispanic.

Lake City is 65 miles east of Columbia.

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