Patrick County deputies are searching for a man they say drove off from officers, then hit a deputy's cruiser, and ran over another deputy during a chase on Sunday, October 26th.
The Patrick County Sheriff's Office tells WSLS that the case began after deputies received a call about a missing juvenile Sunday afternoon.
Then around 3:16 p.m., two deputies spotted a suspect vehicle in Ararat. When the deputies tried to pull over the suspect vehicle, the driver inside sped off on Friends Mission Road.
Deputies say the chase went westbound on Friends Mission Road, then onto Willis Gap Mountain Road, and stopped just north of Orchard View Road.
After stopping the vehicle, one of the two deputies ordered the man inside to get out. The driver did not comply, and backed his vehicle into the other deputy's cruiser.
Investigators say the driver then hit the deputy who ordered the suspect out of his car, by running over the deputy's foot and hurting the deputy's arm.
The driver then spun around, and tried for a second attack on the deputy. At this point, investigators say the hurt deputy fired at the suspect. That scared the suspect off and led to a second chase, this one went off-road through Harold's Orchard. Deputies say the suspect crashed into a tree, and ran off.
The Sheriff's Department called in additional deputies, and help from neighboring sheriff's departments, as well as a State Police helicopter to search for the suspect. They did not find him.
Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith says his investigators have a person of interest.
EMS crews took the deputy who was hit by the car, to Northern Surry Hospital in Mount Airy, North Carolina. He's been treated and released, and will be place on administrative leave since he fired his gun. Sheriff Smith says this is standard procedure when there is a police involved shooting.
If you have any information, call Patrick County Crimestoppers at (276) 694-5000.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement