By Linda Cicoira — Deandre Breshon Ayers, formerly of Painter, was sentenced to 34 years of active time in prison last week in Accomack Circuit Court for five felony charges including the 2016 attempted capital murder of Deputy Eric Nottingham.
Ayers, 31, of Hanson Avenue in Norfolk, Va., is also known as Deondre Brashaun Ayers, De’Andre Breshon Ayers, and De’Andre Breshon Ayres. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and plans to appeal the decisions.
The defendant was given another five years for violating probation bringing his total to 39 years. Ayers was sentenced to five years with three suspended each for shooting at an emergency vehicle, shooting from a vehicle, use of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge W. Revell Lewis III also sentenced Ayers to 40 years for the attempted murder with 15 years suspended. Lewis ordered Ayres to be on good behavior forever.
On Sept. 26, 2016, Accomack officers were notified that Maryland police were looking for a silver Chevy Malibu in connection with a robbery at PNC Bank in Pocomoke, Md. Maryland authorities said three people threatened to blow up the bank. But, they did not display weapons or explosive devices to tellers. Afterward, they were seen getting into the Malibu, which had Virginia tags.
Just after hearing the alert, Nottingham said he saw the vehicle near Temperanceville. He followed and when it ran a stop sign, he attempted to pull the car over.
“The vehicle was acting like it was stopping,” Nottingham testified at the trial. It rolled to about five to 10 miles per hour “and then floored it and went up to 80 to 90 mph.” The deputy said the car suddenly jammed on the brakes. That’s when he saw an arm come out of the driver’s window with a gun pointed toward him.
“It started popping off,” Nottingham said. “I heard metal clanking around. I just heard a whole bunch of shots.” The deputy tried to chase the Malibu, but his car had quit running as “three bullets struck my vehicle, one of them hit the transmission core,” Nottingham testified.
Prosecutor Spencer Morgan said Ayers admitted to driving the car from the Maryland bank robbery. It was unclear if Ayers would be taken there for trial.