After police pursuit, gunfire and standoff, man surrenders

Virginian Pilot ^ | September 10, 2001 | STEPHANIE MOJICA

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After police pursuit, gunfire and standoff, man surrenders
By STEPHANIE MOJICA, The Virginian-Pilot
© September 10, 2001

The standoff began around 3:30 a.m. after Mitchell Thornhill, who was driving an acquaintance's van, reportedly shot at another vehicle on Hanbury Road, police spokesman Joe Price said. The victim followed Thornhill on Hanbury but backed off when police arrived.

As two officers tried to pull Thornhill over, he began to stop but then drove away, Price said.

Three other people, acquaintances of Thornhill's, were in the van during the pursuit. James Cartwright, 24, Jason Temple, 22, and Amber Broadhurst, 19, pleaded with Thornhill to stop, Price said.

CHESAPEAKE -- After holding three people against their will, leading authorities on a 15-mile pursuit and shooting at officers early Sunday, a 20-year-old Chesapeake man surrendered, police said.

The standoff began around 3:30 a.m. after Mitchell Thornhill, who was driving an acquaintance's van, reportedly shot at another vehicle on Hanbury Road, police spokesman Joe Price said. The victim followed Thornhill on Hanbury but backed off when police arrived.

As two officers tried to pull Thornhill over, he began to stop but then drove away, Price said.

Three other people, acquaintances of Thornhill's, were in the van during the pursuit. James Cartwright, 24, Jason Temple, 22, and Amber Broadhurst, 19, pleaded with Thornhill to stop, Price said.

During the pursuit, which continued throughout Great Bridge and into Deep Creek, Thornhill hit a parked car and drove toward an officer's car head-on in the wrong lane, Price said. The officer's vehicle ran off the road but avoided a collision.

Thornhill slowed the van at one point and told the three passengers that he would pull over and that they would have five seconds to get out.

They quickly exited after Thornhill stopped.

``They did not run and were clearly frightened,'' Price said. ``They cooperated fully and are being treated as victim witnesses, not accomplices.''

Thornhill continued north onto South George Washington Highway. In the 800 block, smoke began to pour from underneath the van, and it stalled around 4:30

a.m., Price said.

The suspect then pointed his gun, a black semiautomatic 9 mm, at his chin. Police demanded he drop the weapon, and when he did not, the three officers fired three ``bean bag'' shots at him, Price said. Such shots typically do not cause serious injury.

The shots hit Thornhill's stomach and shoulder, and he fired at the officers, Price said. They returned fire, this time with live rounds. No one was injured.

Thornhill ran around his van and once again held the gun to his head. He asked for cigarettes, a cellular phone and a hostage negotiator. A SWAT team was called in, and the standoff continued for four hours, Price said.

Around 9 a.m., Thornhill stood up and told officers, ``I'm done.''

He was transported to Chesapeake City Jail, where he was charged with three counts of abduction, one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempted malicious wounding, and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Price said. More charges, including attempted capital murder, are expected, police said.

Reach Stephanie Mojica at 446-2536 or smojica@pilotonline.com

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In light of a spate of sensational SWAT team stories, here is one where the police were very patient with this fool kid.