Man surrenders to police at Circle Shopping Center

A man hiding from Richmond police for several hours surrendered to authorities without incident at 7:35 tonight in the Circle Shopping Center at Hull Street Road and Belt Boulevard.

Police spokeswoman Karla Peters said a negotiator talked the man into turning himself in.

Peters identified him as Ricky Bullock, 32, of the 1300 block of Armfield Road, and said he was wanted for failure to appear in court and eluding police, and for a probation violation.

Police brought in a SWAT team and a canine unit, a plane circled overhead and the shopping center's parking lot was cordoned off during the search.

The incident began around 4:30 p.m. when police responded to a report of an armed man in the parking lot who was hiding between the Candy Bar adult entertainment club and the Firestone auto center.

Police later said they did not find a weapon.

Shoppers said the man was sitting in a car when what appeared to be bounty hunters pulled guns on him. One customer, Quintessa Webb, said witnesses shouted, "Don't kill him! Don't shoot him!" as he ran away from the armed men, one of whom wore a jacket marked "Fugitive Recovery Team."

Another shopper, Derrel Muhammad, said the man pulled up his shirt to show he was not armed as he was running.

Several dozen people stood around to watch the action.

“The bounty hunters pulled up with AK-47s and pistols pointed at this man’s face," Muhammad said. "They’re telling this man to get out of the car, but this man’s scared. He takes off running...If it was you, you’d have taken off running too.”

-- Melodie N. Martin