A man accused of shooting an employee at a Williamsburg auto body shop then barricading himself inside the business has been charged with attempted murder, police said.
Michael Sean Taylor, 40, of Hampton, is facing charges of attempted first degree murder, shooting into an occupied building or dwelling and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to a York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office news release.
The release said the victim is now in stable condition. Earlier Tuesday, Sheriff J.D. “Danny” Diggs said the victim was in surgery.
Police say Taylor entered Ebby’s Auto Painting & Collision Repair on Second Street at 8:56 a.m. looking for an employee he had a personal dispute with.
Taylor shot the man multiple times, the release said. Employees were able to remove the employee from the building and take him to a nearby parking lot, where medics provided first aid.
After several hours of negotiations, the situation “started to deteriorate,” the release said.
An emergency response team deployed tear gas in the building, then used a taser to disarm Taylor, the release said. He was not injured, police said.
After Taylor was taken into custody, police took him to the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, where he is being held without bond, the release said.
“I am very pleased that we were able to help save the life of the victim, and that we were able to capture the armed suspect without injury,” Diggs said in the news release. “Our deputies demonstrated great bravery, professionalism, and restraint during the entire event.”
