Man wounded after high-speed chase, shootout with Virginia police on Christmas
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. – Virginia State Police say a South Carolina man stole an SUV before shooting at troopers and leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase that exceeded 120 mph at times on Christmas, reports CBS affiliate WTVR.
Jerrell Richardson was shot after the chase, suffering non-life threatening injuries, police said. The alleged crime spree began when a 2015 Ford Escape was stolen at gunpoint from a gas station in Thomasville, North Carolina.
Police say Richardson, 21, drove the SUV nearly three hours to a Food Barn convenience store in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, where he allegedly fired three shots while unsuccessfully trying to force a door open.
Deputies say the suspect then robbed a truck stop on I-85, about 17 miles away, before heading north. Not long after, Henrico County Police and troopers located the vehicle at a gas station. As police approached, the suspect fled, leading officers on a high-speed chase through multiple counties.
As the chase entered Spotsylvania County, Richardson is accused of ramming a state trooper's vehicle at least twice before bailing from the car as it was still moving.
Police say he then fired at troopers while they pursued him on foot. One trooper returned fire, police said.
Around 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, Richardson was located and surrendered to state police, and investigators discovered that Richardson had been shot during the exchange of gunfire with the trooper.
He was transported to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg with non-life-threatening injuries. A firearm was recovered at the scene, police said.
Richardson was treated and released from the hospital into police custody Tuesday morning.
No police or bystanders were injured during the pursuit or shooting.
Richardson was charged with one felony count of eluding police, one felony count of assault on a police officer, possession of marijuana, driving without a valid operator's license, reckless driving and operating a vehicle without headlights.