WASHINGTON — A South Carolina man who police say lead authorities on a wild chase along Interstate 95 in Virginia before opening fire on them has now been charged with attempted capital murder.
Jerrell C. Richardson, 21, also has been charged with one felony count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, 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.
Richardson is being held without bond at Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, Virginia.
Police say more charges are pending.
The chase began around 8:40 p.m. Christmas Day. Virginia State Police were told to be on the lookout from Dinwiddie County police for a 2015 Ford Escape, which had been stolen at gunpoint in North Carolina on Christmas Eve. The Ford was spotted by police at a gas station at Chamberlayne and U.S. Route 1.
When police approached, they say the suspect fled in the stolen vehicle. The pursuit continued on I-95 and vehicles reached speeds of over 120 mph. As the chase entered Spotsylvania County, the suspect rammed a state trooper’s car at least twice.
Eventually, the suspect bailed from the vehicle as it was still moving and fled on foot while shooting at police. One trooper shot back, hitting Richardson, but he escaped into the wooded median.
Police shut down I-95 in both directions while they searched for him. The search involved K9s and police choppers.
Around 1 a.m., Richardson was found. He had been shot by the trooper but was arrested without further incident.
Richardson was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening and released Tuesday morning. No one else was injured during the incident.
WTOP’s Reem Nadeem contributed to this report.
