Dark as Coal Negro from Chicago, James Brown III, 'who hated cops' and killed Virginia state trooper at Richmond bus station before being shot dead by police

The gunman who killed a Virginia state trooper at a busy bus terminal Thursday has been identified as a 34-year-old from Illinois.

A relative described the shooter, James Brown III of Aurora, Illinois, as an ex-con who 'always liked the criminal side.'

'He had a lot of anger about the police in the past,' said the gunman's aunt, Edith Brown, in an interview with CBS 6 Friday.

'He pretty much thought he wanted to be infamous... in terms of having a showdown. He always praised those people who got into shootouts with police,' the aunt said.

'He said he would never go back to prison again,' Brown said of her nephew, who was also killed in Thursday's gunfight at a Greyhound bus station in Richmond.

'He would fight it out with them.'

Police did not give a motive for the shooting.

Brown shot Trooper Chad P. Dermyer, 37, multiple times Thursday in Richmond before he was killed by two other troopers, police said.


Chief Alfred Durham said Thursday that the gunman had a criminal record but did not elaborate.

Court records obtained by CBS 6 showed Brown had been charged with murder, intent to kill, aggravated battery with a firearm, failure to obey police, resisting a corrections officer, aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, aggravated battery of an unborn child, numerous drug charges, intimidation, domestic battery, felony possession of a weapon, among many driving charges, the station reported.

It is unclear whether or not Brown was convicted of any of the above charges.
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