CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE, JULY 22 1 PM
Authorities have released the mug shot of the man taken into custody in connection to Tuesday’s incident.
Chad Taylor, of Brookneal, was taken into custody and charged with felony eluding and assault on a law enforcement officer. The Campbell County County Sheriff’s Office has also charged Taylor with reckless handling of a firearm and making threats by phone.
Authorities say they were told that Taylor was acting strange throughout the day and threatening neighbors. As a result, some of his neighbors decided to hide inside a garage next to the property line between Taylor’s home and their location because he was firing off a gun nearby.
Before authorities arrived, they say Taylor was armed and left in a 2019 Toyota truck. Officers found Taylor’s truck and tried to stop him, but he refused to stop and hit a Virginia State Police car.
Taylor was then taken into custody off Hat Creek Road. No one was injured during the incident.
ORIGINAL STORY
A man is in custody and no one was hurt after a police pursuit ended in a crash in Campbell County.
Authorities were called to a house located at 1440 Hat Creek Road in Brookneal on Tuesday at around 2 p.m. for a report of reckless firearm use.
According to the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Chad Taylor, of Brookneal, was shooting at lawnmower gas cans near his neighbor’s property line. Taylor left before police arrived to the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office also said Taylor’s wife and kids left when they noticed Taylor acting strange. Authorities said alcohol may have been involved but it was unclear as of Tuesday night.
Taylor drove away and was spotted in the town of Appomattox before he led troopers on a chase back to Campbell County.
The pursuit ended in a crash involving a state trooper’s vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office said Taylor hit a deputy’s car on purpose. No one was hurt and deputies took Taylor into custody.
Authorities brought a bomb squad to the scene in Campbell County, as a precaution, because Taylor had been firing at gas tanks. They didn’t find any explosives, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
10 News crews saw an SUV with broken windows being towed away. Police were also looking inside a barn.
Taylor will be charged Tuesday night, the Sheriff’s Office said. He’s expected to be charged for hitting a state trooper’s car, speeding/refusing to stop and handling a firearm recklessly.