Richmond Police officers acted swiftly Saturday
night to prevent an organized takeover of the city by hundreds of cars from
outside areas that converged in parking lots and various locations throughout
Richmond with the intention of engaging in illegal activities including;
reckless driving, impromptu shows of burnouts and doughnuts, blocking
intersections, and posing a threat to public safety.
An estimated 300 cars converged on the city at 9
p.m. meeting up at various locations throughout the evening. As one location
was cleared out participants fled to the next location only to be met by RPD
officers. Participation in the organized effort dissipated quickly, as officers
diffused six total meet up locations ending at 12:34 a.m. Sunday.
What could have been a potentially deadly
gathering of individuals fueled by large spectator crowds, was prevented by RPD
officers who issued 45 summons for various offenses including:
- Reckless driving
- Illegal tint
- Expired registration
- Trespassing
- No proof of insurance
- Disregarding a red light
- Improper display of license plates
- Defective equipment
- Failure to have vehicle inspected
- Improper exhaust system
- Failure to wear seatbelt
- No valid operator’s license
Richard
C. Shreve, Jr. was charged with felony eluding of a law enforcement officer,
reckless driving, and illegal window tint. His car was impounded. (photo
below)
“Our message is clear and simple, we will not
tolerate this activity on the streets of Richmond and we will strictly enforce
the law when it comes to potentially endangering the lives of others”, said
Gerald Smith, Richmond Chief of Police. “I’m proud of how our officers stopped
efforts to wreak havoc on the city of Richmond, they prevented what could have
been a very tragic event.”
RPD’s multi-agency operation involved
collaboration among the Virginia State Police, Henrico County Police, Hanover
County Sheriff’s Office, VCU Police, and the Richmond Sheriff’s Office, and the
Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.
Chief Smith said, “We thank each of our community
partners who worked with us and the men and women of the Richmond Police
Department who went above and beyond to keep our community safe.”
