Responding to a newspaper article titled in-part, “Shooting at cars not OK,” Augusta County (VA) Sheriff Donald L. Smith emphatically defended his deputies’ actions during the August 17th multi-county I-81 car chase.
“I am extremely disappointed that our local newspaper… would take the stance to immediately address policy concerns and report that my deputies were in the wrong,” Sheriff Smith said. “Why not a story on how the suspect was arrested the day before and released?”
“If a dangerous individual comes into our community using weapons of any kind: firearms, knives, or a 2 ton vehicle putting the citizens of this county or law enforcement within this jurisdiction in harm’s way, I will use every resource that I have to gain control of the situation quickly, effectively and as safely as possible,” Smith added