A man pointed a gun at an officer and then stole his police cruiser Monday afternoon before speeding off and slamming into a building and dying in the fiery crash, according to Richmond police.
Richmond police Maj. Steve Drew said the incident took place shortly after 12:30 p.m. when officers received a call for a wanted man in the 4700 block of Jefferson Davis Highway near a 7-Eleven.
The man later was identified as Timothy R. Howerton, 32, of Richmond.
After arriving on the scene, one officer saw Howerton, parked his car and tried to speak with him, but Howerton pointed a firearm in the direction of the officer, police said.
The officer drew his own gun and took cover behind his police cruiser, according to Drew. Howerton then climbed inside the cruiser and took off.
No shots were fired, according to police.
At the intersection of Walmsley Boulevard and Jefferson Davis Highway, Martina Vincente, who sells household goods in a parking lot, said the speeding police car roared across Jefferson Davis against a red light, barely avoiding a T-bone crash with a vehicle.
Police spokesman Gene Lepley said Howerton smashed through a fence. He lost control of the vehicle at about that time, police said.
Vincente said the speeding car continued traveling east on Walmsley and slammed into a warehouse a block away on the 4700 block of Jefferson Davis before bursting into flames. Lepley said the cruiser flipped upright when it hit the building.
A representative for the Zeller Gmelin Corp. said the building, which was not occupied, sustained structural damage. The building is at the terminal end of Walmsley.
Howerton, who was facing an April 19 trial date on charges of grand larceny, had a history of criminal convictions dating back to his teens, according to Richmond court records, which list him as residing in the 2700 block of Walmsley Boulevard.
At 16, he committed grand larceny on two occasions, according to court documents. And as a 17-year-old, he was again convicted of grand larceny along with a slew of other crimes, including breaking and entering, malicious wounding, illegally carrying a concealed weapon and forgery.
His run-ins with police continued as an adult, according to court documents that state Howerton was convicted over the course of several years of receiving stolen goods, distributing paraphernalia and driving while intoxicated.
Anthony Crone, who lived near Howerton, said he had known him for several years and hung out with him almost daily before a dispute between Howerton and Crone's friend about two months ago.
Crone said Howerton had a BB gun collection and that it was a BB gun Howerton had drawn before stealing the police car.
When asked about the claim, Drew reiterated that a "handgun" had been pointed in the direction of the officer, though he declined to specify the type of handgun, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
"We'll look into it, but right now our statement is a handgun was pointed at the officer," Drew said.
bshulleeta@timesdispatch.com
bmckelway@timesdispatch.com
(c)2013 the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va.)
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