Authorities in Charlottesville and Albemarle County lifted shelter-in-place alerts for the University of Virginia and Lewis Mountain neighborhood following a search for Nyeem Hill, a 19-year-old Scottsville resident who fled from police following an attempted traffic stop on Feb. 25.
Hill has not been apprehended, but authorities say they believe he has “left the area.”
“So there is no shelter in place, but we’re just asking if anyone sees the person in question that we’re looking for to call 911 immediately,” said Kyle Ervin, a spokesperson for the Charlottesville Police Department.
According to alerts from UVA and the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications Center, police remain on scene at UVA and in the broader area. Classes at UVA will resume on Wednesday.
After keeping students indoors during the day, Charlottesville City Schools are following normal dismissal procedures, according to a message sent to parents and staff.
From 1 p.m. Feb. 25, 2025:
Police are searching around the University of Virginia and Lewis Mountain neighborhood for Nyeem Hill, identified in court records as a 19-year-old Scottsville resident who was convicted in July 2024 of possessing a firearm while already a convicted felon.
He was sentenced to five years in prison, however the court suspended a portion of the time and left an active sentence of 14 months, according to a City news release.
He was found with an AR-15 rifle and a pistol near Westhaven playground on Nov. 15, 2023, when he was 18 years old, according to a report in The Daily Progress. The newspaper reported that at the time, Hill already had a prior conviction for a juvenile felony. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on July 8, 2024.
Just two days later, on July 10, 2024, he was involved in some sort of altercation that resulted in more criminal charges. According to Albemarle County General District Court records, officials filed charges of malicious wounding, malicious bodily injury and gang participation that day. The court records provided no further details about the incident. He was indicted on those charges Feb. 3, 2025.
Hill was not held in custody when he was indicted. According to Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, Hill was released on Dec. 16, 2024, after serving 14 months for the November 2023 gun possession.
A judge issued a bench warrant for Hill’s arrest on Feb. 4, 2025, after he failed to appear for his indictment. Hill’s status in the court system Tuesday morning was “fugitive.”
According to an Albemarle County Police Department spokesperson, there are three warrants on Hill: malicious wounding, malicious bodily injury and gang participation — the same charges he was indicted on earlier this month.
A UVA spokesperson said that Hill “has a known criminal history and gang affiliation.”
The search for Hill during the morning of Feb. 25 began after an attempted traffic stop.
According to Virginia State Police, a trooper “attempted to make a traffic stop of a Chevrolet Impala on Fontaine Avenue. The reason for the stop was an expired inspection sticker. The suspect refused to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.”
Hill fled the car while it was still moving, causing it to hit a State Police vehicle and at least one other vehicle. There were no injuries, the statement said.
Joe Platania, Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney, said he couldn’t comment on a pending investigation.
From 11:05 a.m. Feb. 25, 2025:
Police have warned residents in the Lewis Mountain neighborhood to shelter in place after an “incident” involving a man wanted by Albemarle County Police.
Anyone not currently in Lewis Mountain should avoid the area.
Details are scant, but the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications Center sent an alert at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, that officers are looking for a Black man in his 20s, 6’1”, 170 pounds wearing a grey hoodie and black pants. The man could be armed, according to the alert.
The description is similar to that of a man UVA Police and other agencies were searching for earlier Tuesday morning.
Around 9 a.m., UVA Police issued a “shelter-in-place” order for the campus while they searched for Nyheem Hill, according to UVA Police. According to the UVA alerts, Hill is Black, 6’1” and wearing a gray hoodie. The department said residents should avoid making contact with him, but call 911 if they see him.
Charlottesville City Schools has instructed all its students, teachers and staff to remain inside, according to a message sent to parents around 10:30 a.m.
From 10:45 a.m. Feb. 25, 2025:
While University of Virginia police told students and faculty to shelter in place Tuesday, Feb. 25, as of 10:45 a.m., police had not issued any similar alerts for the nearby Charlottesville neighborhoods as officers search for a suspect on UVA’s campus.
According to Kyle Ervin, the Charlottesville Police Department public information officer, the situation seems “only contained to that area.”
No shots were fired, and there were no injuries, the UVA Police Division said on X (formerly Twitter).
Around 9 a.m., UVA Police issued a “shelter in place” order for the campus that continued at 10:22 a.m. while police search for a man wanted by Albemarle County Police.
The man police are looking for is Nyheem Hill, according to UVA Police. He is Black, 6’1” and wearing a gray hoodie, police said. The department said residents should avoid making contact with him, but call 911 if they see him.
“We’ve got multiple partners involved,” said Ervin. That includes Virginia State Police officers, who are mostly making traffic stops, he said.
Albemarle County Police Department and Virginia State Police Department Regional Office couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
Charlottesville City Schools have instructed teachers and students at Trailblazer and Johnson Elementary Schools along with Buford Middle School and Lugo-McGinness Academy to stay indoors “out of an abundance of caution,” said spokesperson Amanda Korman.
This is a developing story, please check back for details.
Editors’ note: This article was updated on March 19, 2025, to correct the spelling of Nyeem Hill’s name.
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