Foot chase in Waynesboro leads to arrest of wanted man

The Waynesboro Police Department has arrested a Staunton man, wanted out of Staunton and Augusta County, on several charges stemming from a brief foot chase that occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Wilco Convenience Store, 780 E. Main St.

Officers arrested Richard Lee Knight, 30 years old, on nine charges after getting information from a Virginia State Trooper that he was traveling in Waynesboro in a GMC Yukon.

An officer spotted the vehicle on South Delphine Ave and followed it to the Wilco store.  When the vehicle parked on the lot, the officer approached the vehicle and requested Knight, who was a passenger in the vehicle, to produce identification.  When he was unable to produce identification and said he couldn’t recall his social security number, the officer attempted to detain him in order to identify him. The officer was about to place handcuffs on Knight when he fled on foot.  The officer followed Knight as he circled the lot, ran onto E Main St and then jumped back into the vehicle’s back seat.  After he got back in the vehicle, Knight grabbed the wheel from the back seat and put the vehicle in reverse.  The officer jumped into the vehicle as well as to not be struck or dragged by the moving vehicle. The officer was able to apply a Taser to Knight but it didn’t affect his actions. Knight then got out of the vehicle again and attempted to flee on foot but surrendered.  Citizens, who were nearby, offered assistance to the officer in bringing the arrest to a close without further incident.

Knight was wanted on the following charges at the time of his arrest:

Augusta County

• Carrying a concealed weapon (m)
• Destruction of property (m)
• Assault (m)

Staunton

• Capias/Failure to Appear (m)
• Probation violations (f)

As a result of yesterday’s incident, Knight is facing the following charges in Waynesboro.

• Assault on a police officer (f)
• Resisting arrest (m)
• Obstruction of justice (m)
• Reckless driving (m)

Knight is being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail.