On March 25, at 8:08 a.m., a deputy responded to a commercial burglary alarm at an orthodontist’s office in South Hill. When he arrived, he saw a man exiting the business. He ordered the suspect to stop and show his hands, but the suspect refused and walked away from the deputy.
As the deputy followed the suspect, he could see that the man had a machete tucked up into his sleeve. He continued to follow the suspect but maintained distance so he could use de-escalation tactics.
Once the suspect removed the machete from his sleeve and armed himself, the deputy requested less-lethal backup as well as a K9.
Backup arrived and a deputy fired less-lethal bean bag rounds at the suspect; those rounds were ineffective. The foot chase continued and additional less-lethal rounds were fired. The suspect eventually sat down and gave up.
The 27-year-old suspect was arrested and booked into jail for burglary in the first degree, resisting arrest and obstructing.