Chesapeake Officers Shot While Answering Woman’s Cries for Help Receive Top Cop Awards

Officers Justin Talley and Hunter Booth earned city and regional honors for their response to an August 2025 domestic assault.

CHESAPEAKE, VA — Two Chesapeake police officers wounded while trying to reach a woman screaming for help received the Chesapeake Top Cop Award and Regional Top Cop Award on Saturday, October 24.

Officers Justin Talley and Hunter Booth were recognized at the Greater Hampton Roads Regional Crime Lines Top Cop Awards Dinner. Loved ones and members of the department’s command staff attended the ceremony.

Gunfire struck both officers at the door

On August 6, 2025, Talley and Booth responded to a domestic assault in progress. They heard a heated argument and a woman calling for help inside the residence, according to the Chesapeake Police Department.

Both officers attempted to force entry to protect her. As they worked to breach the door, the suspect fired from inside, striking Booth in the hand and Talley in the back, police said.

Wounded officers coordinated response

Despite their injuries and the continuing threat of gunfire, Talley and Booth established a perimeter and maintained communication with dispatchers and responding officers. They continued relaying information until additional officers arrived.

The department praised their “bravery, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to protecting others” in announcing the awards.