Photo: NBC12
The people of Richmond were in for a spectacle like no other before, on Tuesday night, when a military armored vehicle many mistook for a tank rode through the streets of the city, chased by a considerable fleet of police cars.
Videos of the incident popped up on social media even before the armored personnel carrier (APC) stopped in front of a children’s hospital, a short distance from City Hall. You can see a couple of them below, together with the full report by NBC12.
The first reports of a tank-like vehicle on what looked like a joyride came in a couple of hours earlier. It was spotted in the Dinwiddie area on 460, heading towards I-95, before going north and entering the city of Richmond.
Apparently, the APC was stolen from Ft. Pickett around 7.50 pm in Nottoway County, and is property of the Virginia National Guard. The guy who stole it, a military man himself, drove it all the way down to where it stopped – presumably because it ran out of fuel, jokesters on social media say.
No word yet on what his reasons for such an act may have been, but NBC12 says that he had to be tasered before he was taken into custody, as he would not comply with the deputies’ demands.
Despite reports that there was a tank loose in Richmond, police insist that the vehicle is not one. Neither is is equipped with any weapons, but the danger was still real in terms of harming people and causing accidents. Luckily, this wasn’t the case: even with the long joyride and police chase, no one was injured.
The soldier responsible to what must be the story Richmond residents will be telling for years from now on is currently in custody, awaiting charges. An investigation is also underway to see how exactly he was able to get away with driving the APC out the gate.
The first reports of a tank-like vehicle on what looked like a joyride came in a couple of hours earlier. It was spotted in the Dinwiddie area on 460, heading towards I-95, before going north and entering the city of Richmond.
Apparently, the APC was stolen from Ft. Pickett around 7.50 pm in Nottoway County, and is property of the Virginia National Guard. The guy who stole it, a military man himself, drove it all the way down to where it stopped – presumably because it ran out of fuel, jokesters on social media say.
No word yet on what his reasons for such an act may have been, but NBC12 says that he had to be tasered before he was taken into custody, as he would not comply with the deputies’ demands.
Despite reports that there was a tank loose in Richmond, police insist that the vehicle is not one. Neither is is equipped with any weapons, but the danger was still real in terms of harming people and causing accidents. Luckily, this wasn’t the case: even with the long joyride and police chase, no one was injured.
The soldier responsible to what must be the story Richmond residents will be telling for years from now on is currently in custody, awaiting charges. An investigation is also underway to see how exactly he was able to get away with driving the APC out the gate.
This is INSANE! Someone has hijacked a “Tank-like” vehicle from Fort Pickett and just drove it by our apartment! This is on Broad Street in the Fan. pic.twitter.com/EYfhFux1dk
— Parker Slaybaugh (@ParkerSlay89) June 6, 2018
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