04/20/12 Manassas, VA – Man Punches Arlington County Police Officer In The Face – Steals Police Car – 100 MPH Chase – Forced Off Road

April 20, 2012

wusa9.com

A man who struck an Arlington County Police officer in the face, and then stole his patrol car has been identified and charged on multiple offenses, Virginia State Police said in a news release.

Dexter Gibson, 37, of Herndon, has been charged Gibson has been charged with 1 count grand larceny, 1 count carjacking,1 felony count of eluding police, 2 counts of malicious wounding, 2 counts of destruction of property and6 counts of felony assault on a police officer.

It happened at around noon on Thursday, at mile marker 46 in the eastbound lanes of I-66 in Prince William County, police said.

“Virginia State Police Trooper C.T. Grzelak responded to a male pedestrian on Interstate 66 in the eastbound lanes at the 46 mile marker in Prince William County. As the trooper stopped out with the man, an Arlington County Police Officer pulled up to assist. Upon being approached by law enforcement, the male subject became combative and began banging on the trooper’s patrol car,” police said.

That’s when the Virginia State Trooper approached Gibson and attempted to arrest him.

Gibson ran from the trooper, punched the Arlington County Police officer in the face and stole his patrol car, police said.

“The trooper then pursued the fleeing suspect. The pursuit continued off I-66 and onto Route 29 before returning to I-66 headed westbound. At the 47 mile marker in Fairfax County, State Police and Prince William County Police were able to encircle and contain the suspect vehicle and force it onto the shoulder where it finally came to a stop,” police said.

Gibson ran from the stolen vehicle and jumped into the bed of a pickup truck that was stopped in the westbound lanes of I-66. Traffic had been stopped because of the chase, police said.

Gibson grabbed a shovel from the back of the truck and started swinging it at the trooper and officer, police said.

“He finally complied with the troopers’ verbal commands to drop the shovel, but then jumped out of the back of the pickup truck and climbed over the cement Jersey wall,” police said.

Gibson was finally tracked down and taken into custody by police.

The Arlington County Police Officer was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.