Rakeem Hodges is a soon to be father of four a true family man who unfortunately has done things in his youthful years. Since coming home the early months of 2019 from a previous conviction, he has dedicated his life to working and providing a stable life for his now fiancé and children. This young father has been a victim his entire life from the murder of his mother at a young age to now this crime Virginia Beach Judicial System is trying to place upon him.

The morning of March 23, 2020 Rakeem proceed to walk to a nearby restaurant to get food for his fiancé when he decided to get a ride from a childhood friend he had seen. Once in the car both men noticed they were being watched by Virginia Beach police officers. They decided to start heading to the restaurant to avoid any conflict with the officers. As they drive cautiously down the road the police pulls them over. Two officers approach the vehicle insisting that it was a traffic stop due to a third brake light being out. Furthermore the officer who approached Rakeem on the passenger side of the car is harassing him about seeing some identification. Rakeem begins to film the hostile officer as he is confused as to why an identification is needed from him when he is only a passenger. The officer begins to open the passenger door because now he is saying the vehicle smells of marijuana. As he takes Rakeem out of the vehicle and puts him in handcuffs, Rakeem flees the scene scared of what may happen due to him being a felon and marijuana not yet being legal in the state as of that day. As he runs from the officer he faints due to dehydration and anxiety. During this time the police officer was able to catch up with him and detain him. As he is being detained the police officer never questioned him about having a firearm on his possession. He begins to tell his colleagues that he believes he saw a firearm during the run.

Furthermore the gun that was recovered that day was found in someone’s backyard, Rakeem had never stepped foot in, that Virginia Beach police did an illegal search to recover. During the search process the police did not feel it was necessary to turn on their body cam dash cam or any camera at all. The only time they did turn on the camera was to show a quick flash of the gun and immediately turned it off. Virginia Beach police department also stated that they did not feel the need to run any testing on the firearm. Therefore Rakeem and his attorney proceeded to ask to run DNA testing on the firearm which came back Negative to finding any of his fingerprints and DNA on the firearm, magazine, cartridge and all 10 bullets. No DNA/ Finger prints no body/dash cam no evidence what so ever except one officer, out of the two that did the initial traffic stop, say that he THOUGHT he saw it. Never not once did Mr. Hodges have gloves on to even have a chance to hide his fingerprints or DNA. 

This man is now facing a minimum of 5 years for Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The driver who had actual marijuana in the car did not face any chargers and in the end his ticket for the third brake light was thrown out because his light was never out. Virginia Beach is the same city to cover up the murder of the city’s very own Pharrell William’s cousin. Now they are trying to take 5 years or more away from this man that he could be using to work and provide for his children and pregnant fiancé as well as allowing him to sleep on the floor in an overcrowded facility.