Re: Fake 911 call leads to chase, police shooting of 18-year-old in Northern Virginia
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Midnight In Manassas
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Date: May 19, 2017 02:01PM
An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded by Manassas police early Friday after placing a false 911 call saying a shooting was underway, leading officers on a chase and then engaging in a confrontation with them, authorities said.
The unusual incident began around 12:40 a.m., when a 911 call was placed in Prince William County saying a shooting involving a black Ford SUV was occurring in the area of Grant Avenue in Manassas. Detectives later determined the 18-year-old placed the call and gave a description of his own vehicle, and that no shooting had occurred.
Following the call, officers from Manassas found the Ford and tried to conduct a traffic stop, officials said. But the driver “ignored officers,” according to a Prince William County police spokesman, and did not stop the vehicle. Prince William County police are investigating the incident.
During the pursuit, which lasted about 10 minutes, the SUV struck two police cruisers.
The vehicle eventually stopped on Bristow Road, where police said there was a confrontation, followed by officers firing shots. Jonathan Perok, a spokesman for the Prince William County police, and Douglas Keen, chief of the Manassas police, said what transpired during the confrontation is still under investigation.
Officers performed lifesaving efforts on the teen until rescuers arrived. The suspect was transported to a hospital and was said to be in serious condition. He is expected to survive, according to Perok.
Police recovered a copy of a BB gun from the scene.
There was also a 15-year-old girl in the vehicle at the time. She was not hurt, police said. She was later determined to be a runaway from the Woodbridge area and was reunited with her family.
Keen said seven officers, including two who fired their weapons, have been placed on routine administrative leave as the criminal investigation continues and an internal probe gets underway.
“At this point on the surface, it looks like all protocols and policies were followed,” Keen said. “That’s what the internal investigation will determine.”
No charges have been placed in the case. No officers were injured in the shooting.