STERLING, Va. (AP) - A Virginia man is facing multiple charges after leading police on a high-speed pursuit that ended when he was shot by an officer, authorities said.
Michael E. Bonner, 54, of Harrisonburg was taken into custody after being released from a hospital Friday afternoon. He has been charged in Loudoun County with grand larceny of a vehicle, eluding police, hit and run, driving without a driver’s license and unauthorized use of a stolen vehicle.
Authorities said the incident began about 7:30 p.m. Thursday when a the driver of a 2017 Ford Escape passed a state trooper on Route 50. The trooper’s license plate reader indicated that the Ford had been reported stolen out of Fairfax County.
The officer tried to make a traffic stop but the driver of the Ford sped away, leading to a vehicle pursuit in which he reached speeds of up to 100 mph and rammed two state police vehicles. State police eventually surrounded the Ford and forced it to a stop. While officers tried to take Bonner into custody, he was shot by a trooper.
The trooper involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation.
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