The Staunton man who faces a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in a “rolling coal” incident that disrupted an April 5 protest rally in front of the Augusta County Courthouse was arrested last week on weapons charges.
You might remember the name Jeffrey Wayne Armentrout, who was initially given a pass by Staunton Police for the reckless driving incident, until I swore out a complaint against him, and a magistrate, after reviewing the evidence, issued an arrest warrant for the towing company owner.
Our Armentrout guy from that case is now set for a July 21 hearing in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County General District Court on three pointing/brandishing a firearm charges.
According to court records, the offense date was July 5, and he was arrested on July 6.
The Virginia Online Case Information System lists Armentrout’s status as released on bail.
Armentrout faces another hearing in Staunton General District Court on July 18 on the April 5 reckless driving charge.
Armentrout, the owner of Armentrout Towing/Old Dixie Towing, was identified as the driver of the 2000 Ford F-350 with neo-Nazi insignia on the front bumper that blew a tower of smoke through a modified smokestack located in the bed of the truck, then drove at a high rate of speed and squealed tires past the rally site on West Johnson Street around 12:40 p.m. on April 5.
Armentrout was stopped by police after a brief pursuit, but only given a verbal warning, with a police spokesperson telling us in an email on April 7 that the officer only gave Armentrout a warning “as they did not witness any reckless driving themselves.”
ICYMI
- Update: Staunton Police did nothing to the driver who threatened protest rally
- Staunton: Magistrate issues warrant in ‘rolling coal’ incident at April 5 protest
- Staunton PD had past issues with tow-truck driver charged in April 5 rally incident
- ‘No complaints’: Armentrout Towing still on Virginia State Police rotation list
The spokesperson, Sgt. CD Ammons, noted in the April 7 email that the driver had been identified, “and anyone who witnessed him spinning tires can obtain a reckless driving summons on him if they want to by coming to the police department and going before the magistrate.”
This started the process toward what happened with the magistrate.
We got the ball rolling after getting the email back from Ammons on April 7, the first act being, posting an item on our AFP Facebook page asking anyone who had attended the rally, held in conjunction with more than 1,200 rallies nationwide to protest the overreach of the Trump administration, Elon Musk and DOGE, and had photos or videos of the incident to feel free to share what they had with us.
In short order, readers shared video of Armentrout driving through the scene at a high rate of speed, and photos of the suspect vehicle showing the proximity of the vehicle to rallygoers on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse.
Josh Knight, the engagement and communications manager for the City of Staunton government, confirmed in an email to AFP that Armentrout Towing/Old Dixie Towing had been a part of the city’s rotation of towing providers, but was removed from that list in October 2024, though no reason was given for the company’s removal.
One reason could be issues with licensure. The Virginia Online Case Information System has records from a Jan. 7, 2025, incident in which Armentrout was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license and for operating as a tow truck driver without the required state licensing from the Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Both charges were ultimately dismissed, but they are the tip of the iceberg from his rap sheet, which includes charges dating back to 2018 for pointing/brandishing a weapon and malicious wounding, petit larceny and annoying phone calls, all of which were also ultimately dismissed.
This Armentrout guy either has the worst luck in the world, to keep getting arrested and hauled into court over nothing, or he’s an example of how our criminal justice system doesn’t keep us safe from people who want to come across as bad guys.
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Chris Graham
