NORTON, Va. (WJHL) – The trial for James Buckland, the man accused of shooting Norton police chief James Lane in May 2021, begins Thursday in Wise County.
Buckland’s trial starts with jury selection on Thursday and Friday, with opening arguments scheduled for Monday. The trial is scheduled to conclude by Oct. 27.
Buckland faces a slew of charges stemming from the May 7, 2021 incident, including attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer. Lane was hospitalized for weeks following the shooting.
The shooting occurred after police responded to the Walmart in Norton after receiving a call regarding a potential shoplifter, Virginia State Police previously reported. State police reported a preliminary investigation had found a pedestrian, later identified as Buckland, fired into Lane’s vehicle as he arrived at the scene.
Buckland was also injured during the shooting.
Since Buckland’s arrest, he has remained in custody at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Duffield.
A few weeks after the shooting, former Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chuck Slemp announced that a review of the shooting found Lane and all the other officers involved in the shooting were justified in their actions.
In May 2023, Buckland appeared in Wise County Circuit Court, and his attorney, David Childers requested bond for Buckland along with pre-trial services. After reviewing body camera footage from the night of the shooting and hearing accounts from Lane and other members of law enforcement, Judge John Kilgore denied bond for Buckland.
