A Portsmouth judge has refused to reverse course on restoring gun rights to Stephen Rankin, the former Portsmouth police officer convicted of voluntary manslaughter for killing 18-year-old William Chapman II outside a Walmart in 2015. Judge Thomas Padrick denied a motion from Portsmouth prosecutors seeking to undo the September restoration order, leaving Rankin's right to possess a firearm intact.
Rankin was convicted in 2016 in the April 22, 2015, shooting of Chapman outside the Walmart on Frederick Boulevard in Portsmouth, according to pilotonline.com. A judge sentenced him to two and a half years in prison, and the Virginia Supreme Court later affirmed the manslaughter conviction. Former Gov. Ralph Northam restored Rankin's civil disabilities, including his right to vote, in 2020, according to Yahoo News, a step that is required under Virginia law before a convicted felon can petition for firearm rights, per the Virginia Legislative Information System.
Rankin's attorney, Tim Anderson, petitioned the court in July to have his client's gun rights restored, and a judge granted the request on Sept. 4. Portsmouth prosecutors then filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider that decision, the same report states. Rankin was expected in court Thursday morning, according to seed reporting from The Virginian-Pilot.
A Prosecutor's Mistake and a Missed Deadline
The case took an unusual turn because a representative of the Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney's Office signed the order on Sept. 4, the same day it was granted, per the Virginian-Pilot's reporting.
Portsmouth prosecutors later filed a motion to reconsider Rankin's petition.
Why the Deadline Mattered
Firearm-rights restoration cases are civil matters, and under Virginia procedure judges must file an order within 21 days of the last order or lose jurisdiction over the case. Prosecutors missed the 21-day deadline to challenge Rankin's restoration.
Portsmouth Circuit Court judges recused themselves from presiding over Rankin's firearm-rights case, and the Virginia Supreme Court appointed retired Virginia Beach Judge Thomas Padrick to preside. Padrick also dismissed a case against a former Portsmouth officer.
Rankin's Earlier Shooting and a Civil Verdict
Rankin's history includes another fatal shooting. As a Portsmouth police officer, he shot and killed Kirill Denyakin, a 26-year-old man, while responding to a burglary call in Old Towne, and a grand jury declined to indict him in that death, according to The Guardian. A jury in a $22 million civil lawsuit brought by Denyakin's family also ruled in Rankin's favor.
Rankin finished his sentence in November 2018. In a statement, the Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said it remained committed to upholding the law and protecting Portsmouth community members, adding that it will continue pursuing justice fairly, impartially and in accordance with the law.
