An early morning pursuit on December 26 led to the arrest of 41-year-old James Aaron Briggs of Ararat, Virginia, who is facing multiple charges after a high-speed chase through Patrick County and into North Carolina. The pursuit, which involved law enforcement officers from both Virginia and North Carolina, began after Briggs was identified as a suspect in a Christmas Day domestic assault and threats involving firearms.
According to Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith, deputies had been investigating an incident from the previous day where Briggs allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and made threats to shoot members of her family.
Sheriff Smith also revealed that Briggs was a fugitive, wanted for several months on a felony probation violation capias issued by the Patrick County Circuit Court.
The incident escalated early on December 26, when Patrick County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Dustin Foley spotted Briggs' vehicle on River Road shortly after 2 a.m.
Lieutenant Foley attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Briggs fled, sparking a high-speed chase.
The pursuit covered several roads in the Ararat and Willis Gap areas, with Briggs reportedly ramming Foley’s patrol vehicle on Lovell Pond Road. Despite Foley’s attempts to use Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuvers to stop Briggs' vehicle, the suspect continued to evade capture.
“At one point, Lieutenant Foley successfully spun the suspect vehicle around with a PIT maneuver, pushing it into a bank, but the suspect managed to spin out and the chase resumed,” said Sheriff Smith. “The pursuit continued through various roads in the area and was becoming increasingly dangerous.”
As the pursuit entered Surry County, NC, Master Deputy Eric Sain of the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office joined the chase and deployed spike strips at the intersection of Johnson Creek Road and Willis Gap Road.
However, Briggs successfully avoided the spike strips, and the chase continued into Mount Airy, NC.
The Surry County Sheriff’s Office took over the pursuit when it crossed into North Carolina. The chase came to an end when Briggs' vehicle finally ran out of gas in a driveway in Mount Airy, where he was taken into custody by North Carolina authorities.
Upon Briggs’ arrest, law enforcement discovered two handguns and a large quantity of methamphetamine inside his vehicle. Briggs was charged with multiple offenses, including:
Felony Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer
Felony Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer
Assault and Battery
Sheriff Dan Smith praised the quick response and professionalism of the officers involved, noting that Lieutenant Foley was fortunate to avoid injury despite the dangerous nature of the pursuit.
"We are very fortunate that Lieutenant Foley was not injured during this incident. The damage to his patrol vehicle was minimal, thanks to the push bumper absorbing much of the impact during the ramming incident," Smith stated.
James Aaron Briggs is currently being held without bond at the Surry County, NC jail. Additional charges may be pending as the investigation continues.
"This was a dangerous and unpredictable situation, but the teamwork between our department and the Surry County Sheriff's Office, along with our skilled deputies, ensured that the suspect was safely taken into custody without further harm to anyone involved," Sheriff Smith added.
For more information, please contact the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office or the Surry County Sheriff’s Office.