PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth City Council moved into a closed session on the evening of a special called meeting to consult with legal counsel about shootings in the city, citing the Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemption for attorney consultation.

"I move to go into a closed meeting pursuant to Virginia code sub subsection 2.2 dash 37 11 a 8 for the purpose of consultation with legal counsel employed by the public body regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel, specifically regarding shootings in the city," the vice mayor said while reading the motion. The motion was seconded and a roll call vote approved it.

The closed session was conducted under the exemption in Virginia law (Va. Code §2.2-3711(A)(8)) that permits public bodies to consult with legal counsel about specific legal matters. After the closed meeting, a council member moved that each council member certify that, to the best of their knowledge, only matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements and only the matters identified in the motion were discussed. That certification was approved by roll call.

The transcript records that multiple council members voted in the affirmative on both the motion to enter closed session and the subsequent certification. The meeting record shows Miss Thomas was noted as absent during roll call earlier in the proceeding. No substantive open deliberations about the shootings or any legal positions were recorded in the public portion of the meeting transcript; the public record contains only the motion to go into closed session, the roll calls, the certification motion and the adjournment.

The council acknowledged City Manager Carter and interim City Attorney Derek Challenger during opening remarks. The meeting concluded shortly after the certification vote and a brief adjournment statement.

No dates, written reports, or further public details about the closed-session discussions appear in the public transcript; the council’s certification states only that the closed meeting complied with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and covered the matters identified in the motion.