NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The man accused of dragging a Newport News officer by car during a traffic stop, which ultimately led to her death, was in court Thursday to enter a plea to charges he faces in connection to the incident.
Vernon Green II pleaded not guilty to federal charges that include being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana.
Now, it will be up to a jury to decide whether to convict or clear him of those charges.
Green will face a trial by jury on Nov. 17. His defense attorneys have until July 30 to file motions in the case. He was also charged with homicide and eluding law enforcement.
On Jan. 23, 2020, Officer Katie Thyne conducted a traffic stop on a car Green was driving. Green ended up hitting the gas and took off while Thyne was standing by the driver's side door.
She was dragged by the car before it hit a tree. She later died at the hospital.
Thyne, who had been with the Newport News Police Department since 2018, left behind her mother, a brother, a stepfather, a partner, and a two-year-old daughter.