Luray man held without bond following lengthy high-speed chase

A Saturday night high-speed pursuit that went through Front Royal and Warren County during a multiple jurisdiction operation that began in the Sperryville area of Rappahannock County and into Frederick County led to 11 initial charges against a 33-year-old Luray man.

Bryan Douglas Walters was booked into the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren (RSW) Regional Jail in northern Warren County at 11:39 p.m. Saturday evening. He is being held without bond on five traffic and six criminal charges according to the RSW Jail website.

Bryan Douglas Walters – Photo/RSW Regional Jail website

Those charges are:

• Traffic: 2-Reckless Driving, failure to obey police command to stop;
• Reckless Driving, 20 or more mph above the speed limit;
• 2-Driving Revoked License, 3rd, or subsequent offense.
• Criminal: 2-Narcotics, sell, distribute PWI, marijuana ½ ounce to 5 pounds;
• 2-Assault, simple assault law enforcement, fire/rescue responder or judge;
• 2-Obstruction of Justice, resist arrest without threat or force.

According to Warren County Sheriff’s Office Major J.A. Driskill Sr., Walters was finally apprehended around the 3-mile marker on Interstate-66 after doubling back southbound in Frederick County on Route 11 at Stephens City.

In a draft report, Walters’ vehicle is listed as becoming disabled and undrivable. While not elaborated on in the draft report, Driskill said the vehicle may have been disabled by a spike strip deployed on I-66, possibly by the Front Royal Police Department which became involved as Walters sped north through town on Route 522 North, then disengaged as the chase entered Frederick County.

Driskill said a “Look Out” was issued for Walters vehicle at 8:29 p.m. by Rappahannock County. During an investigative stop there, apparent illegal substances were observed in quantity at which point Walters fled the scene driving northbound at speed. As Rappahannock was issuing its bulletin Walters was being engaged by the Front Royal Police Department as he continued northbound on Route 522 through Front Royal.

Walters led town police northbound across the bridges and onto I-66 West where the WCSO joined the pursuit. As Walters entered I-81 northbound into Frederick County, the sheriff’s office there was looking to bring spike strips into Walters’ path. Units from Frederick County joined the chase around Middletown at 8:46 p.m. near the commercial truck scales.

As additional agencies became involved and jurisdictional lines were crossed, initially pursuing agencies disengaged from the hard pursuit. Warren County discontinued near Ornita Road the draft report indicates.

In Frederick County between Middletown and Stephens City, the Virginia State Police became the lead pursuing agency. But before spikes could be brought into play, Walters left I-81 for Route 11 near Stephens City and reversed his path southbound and eventually eastbound on I-66.

Three miles later, at 9 p.m. Walters car became disabled and the Saturday evening four jurisdiction pursuit came to an end.

WCSO Major Driskill said the draft report indicated that Walters may have been bitten by a K-9 unit at the scene of his arrest. He said the report indicated WCSO Deputy Griffith was on the scene with his K-9 unit.

The RSW Jail website lists “Warren 187” (WCSO) as the arresting agency since that is the jurisdiction in which he was apprehended – or maybe they drew straws to see who got the honors.