Richmond Department of Public Works employee shot, injured while collecting trash in city’s Shockoe Bottom area

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A Richmond Department of Public Works employee is injured after police said he was shot while collecting trash in the city's Shockoe Bottom area early Wednesday morning.

At around 1:36 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, officers with the Richmond Police Department were called to the 00 block of North 18th Street for the report of a person shot.

When officers arrived, they found a man who works to collect trash for Richmond's Department of Public Works, who was on duty at the time, who had an apparent gunshot wound.

Police said he was taken to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

Detectives then responded to investigate. According to police, detectives have determined that a confrontation among other people in front of a business resulted in a suspect or suspects shooting at a vehicle that was leaving the area.

The employee was near the departing vehicle in a City of Richmond Department of Public Works trash collection truck when he was injured by gunfire.

Officials said detectives have not released information on arrests in connection to the incident.

In a press release shared by police, Mayor Danny Avula expressed his sadness at the shooting.

“I was so saddened to hear about a City of Richmond Department of Public Works employee who was wounded while doing his job,” Avula said. “Guns are taking a serious toll on people, and it's not okay."

Avula also said that incidents such as this one is why he established the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was announced in April as a new solution to address gun violence throughout the city.

"This is heartbreaking and is exactly why I am elevating this issue through my newly established Office of Gun Violence Prevention," Avula said. "Every Richmonder deserves to feel safe, whether you're out with friends or out collecting trash at 1:30 in the morning."