ABINGDON, Va. — Authorities in Abingdon apprehended a man Thursday evening following a dramatic incident involving a firearm and a police chase that culminated in a collision with civilian vehicles.
The Abingdon Police Department (APD) reported that the incident unfolded on the 600 block of Cummings Street around 7:15 p.m. Officers were dispatched following reports of a man “waving a gun and cursing” behind a local business.
Upon arrival, officers encountered 29-year-old Christian Clutter, who was sitting in a parked Chevy Equinox, according to the APD. A loud noise, which sounded like a gunshot, was heard from within Clutter’s vehicle, prompting him to flee the scene.
The suspect then drove north on Cummings Street, with APD officers in pursuit. The chase ended in a crash involving civilian vehicles, leading to Clutter’s arrest.
An officer then conducted a PIT maneuver on the vehicle Clutter was driving at the intersection of Cummings and West Main streets. The release said that Clutter continued driving after the maneuver, this time southbound on Cummings Street.
“A motor vehicle crash occurred when the suspect vehicle collided with two vehicles not involved in the pursuit at the intersection of Cummings Street and Cook Street,” the release states. No injuries were reported as a result of that crash, the release said.
Police took Clutter into custody, and during a search of the vehicle he was driving, officers found two firearms.
Clutter was charged with the following:
- One count of Felony Eluding
- One count of Misdemeanor Brandishing a Firearm
- One count of Misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated, First Offense, BAC >.20%
- One count of Misdemeanor Reckless Driving
- One count of Misdemeanor Driving Without a Valid License
- One count of Misdemeanor Fail to Stop at a Stop Sign
The police department said more charges are pending and the investigation remains ongoing.