YORK COUNTY, Va. — A man is in custody after he shot at deputies with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office and James City County police officers on Wednesday, according to the sheriff's office.
Andrew Susalis, 35, was arrested and charged with the following, according to York-Poquoson Sheriff Ron Montgomery: attempted second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, reckless handling of a firearm, destruction of property and shooting into an occupied dwelling.
The sheriff's office says around noon, deputies and officers went to a home to investigate a road rage incident that happened earlier in the day in James City County. The home law enforcement went to — which the sheriff later confirmed was where Susalis lives — was in the 300 block of Mark's Pond Way.
"At 11:45am, we received multiple calls that a motorist had been shot by a lone occupant of a light blue sedan," Mark Jamison, James City County Police Chief said.
When deputies and officers arrived, Susalis fired shots at them from the upper floor of the home, the sheriff's office says. He fired multiple rounds from a rifle and hit a James City County police car, the sheriff's office added.
“A James City County police vehicle was hit multiple times by high powered rifle. Fortunately no one was seriously injured. The suspect came out of the house. The suspect stopped shooting and came out and surrounded,” York County Sheriff Ron Montgomery said.
A James City County police officer sustained injuries from two bullet fragments, Sheriff Montgomery says. He's since been treated and released from a local hospital, the sheriff added.
"To pull up on the scene and take multiple rounds from a rifle when you’re fighting for your life at that moment is something we never expect to experience," Mark Jamison, James City County Police Chief said.
James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison commended his officers for their response to the violence.
"Our officers today responded with bravery, courage and unbelievable resolve to be able to survive this incident because there was an attempt on their life," said Chief Jamison.
News 3's Leondra Head spoke to neighbors in the neighborhood where the shooting happened.
"I thought about my family and if they were okay. It’s a very quiet neighborhood," one neighbor said.
Another neighbor says they called police when they heard the gunshot ring out.
"At 12:10, I heard a couple of shots. I thought nothing of it at first but it was a rapid succession of it. It was about 25 or 30 shots with a pause in between. Then I called 911," John Dereix told News 3's Ellen Ice.
As of Thursday evening, additional charges have been obtained for Susalis. He is now charged with three counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder of Law Enforcement Officers and is currently held in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, according to YPSO investigators.
News 3 has a team covering this tonight. This article will be updated accordingly.
