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Jaquan Malik Fitchett, who officials said has no fixed address, is facing multiple charges after leading police on a lengthy pursuit in an allegedly stolen vehicle before resisting arrest as officers attempted to take him into custody.
The incident began shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5 when officers from the Prince William County Police Department responded to the Westgate Apartments in the 8100 block of Portwood Turnpike in Manassas for reports of a man who was unresponsive inside a parked vehicle.
Upon arrival, officers said that they found Fitchett, who was inside a vehicle that they determined had been recently reported stolen.
Police say that as the officers approached, Fitchett and other occupants inside the car refused to follow commands, and eventually, he allegedly reversed the vehicle at a high rate of speed into a police cruiser before speeding away.
No officers were struck.
Additional officers later spotted the suspect vehicle on Sudley Road, though Fitchett remained elusive, according to a Prince William County Police Department spokesperson. He then drove into the parking lot of an area business and down an access road before the occupants all fled on foot.
Using a police K9 and Fairfax County Police helicopter, investigators were initially unable to locate Fitchett or the other occupants of the stolen vehicle, though they later received a report of a suspicious person in the 10600 block of Provincial Drive, which was Fitchett.
When officers arrived at the location, they found Fitchett, who struggled briefly when they attempted to take him into custody.
Once he was safely apprehended, investigators said that officers located several other items that had been reported stolen in Prince William County. There was no word about any charges for the other occupants of the vehicle.
Fitchett was ultimately apprehended and charged with:
- Possession of a stolen vehicle;
- Hit-and-run;
- Felony eluding;
- Reckless driving;
- Driving without a license;
- Providing false identity to law enforcement;
- Possession of a controlled substance;
- Obstruction of justice;
- Petit larceny.
He is being held without bond pending his next court appearance, which has not been announced.
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