This snarled traffic in our area today, 66 was closed for a while. They really should have shot him.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2833746WASHINGTON - A man who assaulted several officers and took police on a car chase after stealing a police cruiser Thursday is finally in custody.
Virginia State Police Trooper C. T. Grzelak responded to a pedestrian in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 66 in Prince William County. At the same time, an Arlington County Police officer pulled up to assist.
When he was approached by officers, the pedestrian began struggling and banging on the trooper's patrol car.
As the officers attempted to arrest him, the man hit the Arlington officer in the face and took off in the officer's cruiser.
The trooper pursued the suspect, with the chase continuing off I-66 and onto Route 29 before returning to I-66 westbound.
At mile marker 47 in Fairfax County, State Police and Prince William County Police were able to surround the suspect's car and force him onto the shoulder.
After stopping, the suspect ran from the stolen cruiser and jumped into the bed of a pickup truck that was stopped in the westbound lanes of I-66. Police had stopped all traffic due to the car chase.
The suspect grabbed a shovel from the back of the pickup truck and began swinging at the troopers as they came toward him.
The man finally complied with officer's commands to drop the shovel, but then jumped out of the back of the pickup truck and climbed over the cement Jersey wall.
Now in the left shoulder of the eastbound lanes of I-66, the suspect refused to be taken into custody and continued to fight officers.
A trooper and sergeant sustained minor injuries in the course of arresting the suspect.
Prince William County Police officers took the suspect to the Prince William County Adult Detention Center.
Charges are pending, police say.
The Arlington County police officer was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
