A Virginia National Guard Soldier was arrested after he stole an armored carrier and led police on a two-hour chase through Old Dominion, a bizarre incident that was caught on camera by multiple news outlets and bystanders.
Virginia National Guard Soldier Steals Armored Carrier
The incident went down on Tuesday evening when 1st Lt. Joshua Philip Yabut drove away in a M577 armored personnel carrier from Ft. Pickett near Blackstone, Va., while his unit was conducting routine training.
Yabut drove the APC east on Route 460 and then northbound on I-95, with a speed topping out at 40 mph. The Virginia State Police pursued the vehicle from Nottoway County to the city of Richmond. Upon reaching Richmond, Yabut stopped the APC and surrendered. He is currently being held in the Richmond City Jail.
The APC wasn’t equipped with any weapons; Yabut did have his personal weapon on him, but he didn’t have any ammo, the Virginia National Guard said in a news release.
Nobody was injured as a result of the incident, and the vehicle itself had minimal damage.
“We are extremely grateful that there were no injuries as a result of this incident, and we appreciate the great work of the Virginia State Police, Richmond Police Department and other law enforcement and first responders who safely brought this situation to a close,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. “We have initiated our own internal investigation, and we will determine appropriate actions once the investigation is complete.”
Charges & Yabut’s Background
The Virginia State Police has charged Yabut with driving under the influence of drugs; one felony count of eluding police; and one felony count of unauthorized use of a vehicle.
According to the presser, Yabut is the commander of the Petersburg-based Headquarters Company, 276th Engineer Battalion. He has over 11 years of service; he deployed to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009 with the Illinois National Guard.
Social Media Activity
The day of the incident, Yabut tweeted out a link to a Wikipedia entry of the M113 APC.
— Joshua [BCH] (@movrcx) June 5, 2018
That same day, while evading police, Yabut posted a photo and a video of himself inside the APC.
— Joshua [BCH] (@movrcx) June 6, 2018
— Joshua [BCH] (@movrcx) June 6, 2018
Watch a couple of different bystander videos capturing the police below.
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
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjqkWYPBjY4/?taken-by=blackbankmedia
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