STAFFORD COUNTY, VA – The unexpected shooting of a local man last Friday night has left a Virginia community searching for answers as conflicting narratives emerge. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reports an off-duty FBI agent shot his neighbor, 61-year-old Harold Chamberlain, during a confrontation near North Jenny Road and Cross Cut Lane. However, the family involved in the incident tells a different story.
The tension began when the off-duty agent reported a young man recklessly riding a dirt bike through the neighborhood. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the rider was 20-year-old Nicholas “Nico” Vazquez. After the encounter, Nico reportedly returned home to fetch his brother Angel and father Javier to confront the agent. The Sheriff’s Office claims the Vazquez family intended to confront the agent, suspecting they might be armed.
Javier Vazquez, however, refutes these claims, stating that his family only returned to the scene to identify the location where his son was allegedly threatened with a gun. As they arrived, they were intercepted by an unmarked police vehicle, leading to a tense exchange. The Sheriff’s Office states the interaction turned physical, but the Vazquez family insists this was not the case.
Witnesses, including a neighbor uninvolved in the incident, have described the FBI agent as the aggressor, with the Vazquez family asserting they were never arrested nor detained. Yet, charges against them were filed, many of which have since been dropped.
In a tragic turn, Chamberlain, described by neighbors as a good Samaritan, approached the scene to assist. The Sheriff’s Office praised his bravery, but the Vazquez family contends Chamberlain was interacting with the FBI agent when he was shot.
The incident has raised questions about the FBI agent’s actions, who remains unnamed and uncharged. Javier Vazquez acknowledges his son’s mistake in riding the dirt bike on the street but questions the necessity of the federal agent’s armed involvement in what began as a minor traffic issue.
The FBI’s Richmond Field Office has stated that the shooting is under investigation, emphasizing the seriousness with which they treat such incidents involving their agents. Meanwhile, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has yet to provide a comprehensive account, leaving the community in search of clarity.