A Germantown, Maryland, man has been charged in a police chase that started in Germantown and ended with a crash in Fairfax, Virginia, that closed Route 7 in Tysons.
Frederick K. Njihia, 26, will be charged in Montgomery County with four counts of attempted murder and first-degree assault with a firearm. The Virginia State Police are charging him with on one felony count of eluding police and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving. He’s being held without bond in Virginia.
The Montgomery County police said they got a call at about 9:30 a.m. reporting that shots had been fired on Hawks Ridge Terrace in Germantown. They said in a statement Monday afternoon that Njihia had fired at a WSSC worker.
When officers got there, the Montgomery County police said, Njihia fled, firing at officers and driving toward Virginia, getting onto the Beltway.
In Fairfax County, the Virginia State Police said, Njihia exited the Beltway at Route 7 toward Tysons Corner. At the Dulles Toll Road, the state police said, he made a U-turn, and the state police purposely bumped his car, sending him off the road and into a Jersey barrier. The car then overturned.
The state police said Njihia was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
VA-7 @ Dulles Toll Rd is STOPPED w/ medevac landing for crash #McLean #VaTraffic #DCTraffic
Traffic 🔗 https://t.co/nb3VFR1abs
Listen 🔗 https://t.co/KpJlqpKxN7
Tipline: 📞 866-304-9867 pic.twitter.com/91QEeOfJgM— WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic) July 4, 2022
Initially, the crash closed all lanes of Route 7. The westbound lanes reopened shortly after 11 a.m.; the eastbound lanes, at about 5:30 p.m.
Fairfax County resident Spencer Deese captured what appears to be the end of the chase on video:
Monday afternoon, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones shared photos of two high-powered weapons he said were found in the suspect’s possession.
These are the high powered weapons found in possession of the suspect who shot at one of my officers this morning. I am grateful she wasn’t injured and to the courageous officers who pursued him through Maryland and Virginia to place him under arrest. pic.twitter.com/ASJ58R6zgi
— Marcus Jones (@mcpdChief) July 4, 2022
