Fugitive Surrenders to JCC SWAT Team

Fugitive Surrenders to JCC SWAT Team

By WYDaily Staff Friday, July 08, 2011

For more than an hour Friday evening a fugitive holed up in a Toano attic caused the homeward commute to stall for some Toano residents.

James City County police were called to the 7800 block of Richmond Road just before 5 p.m. Friday after a bail bondsman notified them the fugitive, 24-year-old Richard "Chase" Smith, had barricaded himself in the attic of a home there. Smith was wanted for failure to appear in New Kent County General District Court on charges of distribution of marijuana, distribution of paraphernelia and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Smith, who police say lives on Chesapeake Avenue in Toano, was also wanted for failure to appear in Williamsburg-James City County General District Court for possession of marijuana.

James City police, who had received information that Smith was armed, surrounded the residence and blocked traffic on Richmond Road betweeen Chickahominy and Forge roads.

About two hours into the standoff, Smith surrendered to SWAT Team officers without further incident. No weapon was found in the residence, James City police spokesman Maj. Steve Rubino said.

Smith was taken to the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, where he is being held without bond.

Comments

+3 #4 Guest 2011-07-11 10:18

Come on give our POLICE a break. The guy was a fellon and if he was suppected of having a gun that is a parol violation. If he had a gun and shot someone and they did not have the SWAT Team there then you would be complaining why were they not there. The officers are sworn to up hold the law and that is what they were doing and they made the call as to what needed to happen. If you think that you can do it any better then you should apply for one of the openings at the Police Department and you might feel differently about how things are handled. The SWAT team are trained to handle these sort of situations. The regular officers on the street need to be on the street doing what they do best.

Quote

0 #3 Guest 2011-07-10 10:38

While I understand that the JCC police need to keep the county safe, I honestly believe this is a little over doing it. When you look at the charges, Smith was carrying convictions that many high schoolers do this day and time and are not for violent crimes. Honestly, deploying a SWAT unit and essentially locking toano down for pot charges is rediculous. For what its worth, think about it; it was easily over 100 degrees in that attic, two things were going to happen, he would either pass out or come out willing, SWAT or no SWAT. Just seems a little excessive to me...

Quote

+1 #2 Guest 2011-07-10 10:29

Quoting Concerned in Toano:

I live just blocks from all of this, and I think the county alert system that sends me a text every time there is a thunderstorm approaching could have been put to good use in this situation. My family was not able to get home due to the road blocks, but my next door neighbors were already home and, had a pursuit into the neighborhood taken place, could have been in danger.

Really?!?!?

Quote

+5 #1 Guest 2011-07-09 17:41

I live just blocks from all of this, and I think the county alert system that sends me a text every time there is a thunderstorm approaching could have been put to good use in this situation. My family was not able to get home due to the road blocks, but my next door neighbors were already home and, had a pursuit into the neighborhood taken place, could have been in danger.

Quote

Refresh comments list

Add comment

WYDaily invites you to join the community conversation. We expect civil discourse here. Personal attacks on others, indecent language and bad manners in general are unwelcome.

JComments