In the quiet Hewitt Farms neighborhood near Ocean View, a routine police call spiraled into a deadly confrontation on Friday, August 8, 2025, leaving a community shaken and a family in mourning. The man at the center of this harrowing incident was identified as 31-year-old Dwayne D. Harris, whose life ended in a matter of moments during a tense encounter with Norfolk police.

It all began just after noon when a 911 call summoned officers to the 1700 block of Cornell Avenue. The report was urgent: a burglary in progress at a local residence. Norfolk Police Department officers arrived swiftly, their senses heightened, ready to confront the unknown. What they found was Harris, allegedly in the act of breaking into a home. According to authorities, he wasn’t alone in his intentions—he was armed with a firearm, a detail that would soon escalate the situation to a breaking point.
As officers approached, Harris made a fateful decision. Rather than comply, he bolted, leaping into a vehicle and speeding away from the scene. The police, undeterred, gave chase. The pursuit was brief but intense, spanning just two blocks before screeching to a halt at the intersection of Guam Parkway and Meadow Creek Road in the 8300 block. What happened next unfolded in seconds but will be dissected for months to come.

Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot recounted the chilling sequence of events at a press conference later that day. Harris, still clutching his weapon, stepped out of his vehicle. In a moment that turned the encounter deadly, he allegedly pointed his firearm at the officers. Faced with an immediate threat, the officers responded with lethal force, discharging their service weapons. Harris was struck, collapsing at the scene. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead on the spot, his life extinguished in the Norfolk afternoon.

The aftermath was somber. The quiet streets of Hewitt Farms, typically a haven of suburban calm, buzzed with police activity and the weight of what had transpired. No officers were injured in the exchange, but the emotional toll on all involved was palpable. Chief Talbot, addressing the public, underscored the gravity of the moment, emphasizing the split-second decisions officers must make when confronted with an armed suspect.

The incident has now been handed over to the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation for a thorough and independent probe, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. Their task is to piece together the events with clinical precision: Was Harris’s weapon raised in a threatening manner? Did the officers follow protocol? What led a 31-year-old man to this fatal crossroads? These questions linger as investigators comb through evidence, interview witnesses, and analyze body camera footage, if available.

For now, the Norfolk Police Department has placed all officers involved on administrative duty, a routine step pending the investigation’s outcome. The department also issued a call to the public, urging anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be shared directly with the Virginia State Police or anonymously through the P3Tips mobile app, a plea for clarity in a case that has already sparked debate and sorrow.

In the heart of Norfolk, the loss of Dwayne D. Harris reverberates. To his family and friends, he was more than a name in a news release—a son, perhaps a brother, a man with dreams and struggles. To the community, his death is a stark reminder of the fragile line between order and chaos, where a single moment can alter lives forever. As the investigation unfolds, Hewitt Farms holds its breath, waiting for answers that may bring closure or ignite further questions in a city no stranger to such tragedies.