Police shot to death a St. Thomas man in Market Square Saturday afternoon after he fired on the officers, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Officers responded to reports that Troy Jameson Normil, 28, was shooting a gun in the area at around 4:45 p.m. When they arrived, Normil turned to the officers and fired several shots, according to Glen Dratte, VIPD’s communications director.
A man described as an innocent bystander was shot twice by Normil, Dratte said, suffering non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The Major Crimes Unit was still investigating exactly what happened, including why Normil was shooting a gun.
Normil, of Estate Mariendahl, had a history of violent behavior, most notably a series of robberies a decade ago. He had been released from prison roughly one year ago.
In November 2013, Normil, then 18, and an accomplice allegedly set a trap by blocking a section of Suicide Hill with their vehicle. When a man on a scooter stopped, Normil pointed a gun at him and demanded money. Finding no cash, Normil took the man’s mobile phone and 2010 Honda scooter, which was later recovered near Normil’s home.
Before capture, however, Normil struck again.
Ten days later, Normil allegedly threatened a St. Thomas woman with a knife, taking her 2010 Ford and cell phone.
Ten days after that, police spotted Normil in a blue Jeep Wrangler that had been reported stolen. Normil and an accomplice allegedly attempted to elude police. After a high-speed chase they leapt out of the moving vehicle that then crashed into a concrete retaining wall. Normil, then 18, and the accomplice ran away but eventually surrendered after police threatened to release a K9 unit.
He pleaded guilty in 2015 to federal carjacking and weapons charges. He was sentenced to more than 10 years. The circumstances of his release were unclear, but on Nov. 18, 2022, Normil posted “Free at last” on social media. On June 3, he posted a photo of himself in a public restroom mirror wearing gold jewelry and holding a wad of cash.
