A man is in custody after allegedly shooting at law enforcement for approximately five minutes in York County on Wednesday.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office reported that the incident occurred in the 300 block of Mark’s Pond Way, near Newman Road and Interstate 64’s Exit 234. James City County police officers were investigating an earlier road rage incident when the shooting began.
James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison stated, “We received several calls reporting that a motorist had allegedly been shot at by the driver of a light blue sedan.” The vehicle was hit by up to four rounds, but the driver was not injured.
Upon arrival in the neighborhood, a man, identified as 35-year-old Andrew Susalis, allegedly opened fire on officers from the upper floor of a residence while they were still several houses away. Susalis fired multiple rounds from a high-powered rifle, striking a James City County police car.
Authorities said Susalis shot at the police car for several minutes, riddling it with over 100 bullet holes.
“[One of the officers] was inside that vehicle, near the curb, for the entire approximately five minutes of shooting,” Jamison said. The officer sustained minor bullet fragment injuries and was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon.
Jamison added, “To pull up on a scene and take multiple rounds from a rifle, inside a car, and you’re fighting for your life at that moment, is something we never expect to experience.”
Deputies did not return fire as they could not pinpoint the source of the gunfire. Susalis eventually surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene following multiple 911 calls. Sheriff Ron Montgomery described the moments before the shooting, stating, “The two officers in the front of the vehicle got out and had just started to interact with the two officers in the rear when shots started to ring out from that house.”
The sheriff’s office is now investigating the Mark’s Pond Way shooting. “I thought it was incredible that we didn’t have any further loss of life or more serious injuries than we had,” Montgomery said. “So, I was very grateful for that.”
Susalis faces multiple charges, including:
Three counts of attempted aggravated murder of law enforcement officers
Two counts of attempted second-degree murder
Two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
Two counts of felony reckless handling of a firearm
One count of felony destruction of property
One count of felony shooting into an occupied dwelling
He is currently incarcerated in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office Press Release
NEWS FROM THE SHERIFF UPDATE:
York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office Investigators have continued to gather evidence in the case of the ambush of the James City County police officers on July 17, 2024. As a result of the ongoing investigation, additional charges have been obtained for the suspect Andrew Francis Susalis.
He is now charged with three (3) counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder of Law Enforcement Officers. He is currently incarcerated in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
On July 17, 2024, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Deputies ARRESTED Andrew F. Susalis for the shooting in the 300 Block of Mark’s Pond Way.
Andrew F. Susalis is charged with 2 counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder, 2 counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, 2 counts of Reckless Handling of a Firearm (Felony), 1 count of Destruction of Property (Felony), and 1 count of Shooting Into an Occupied Dwelling (Felony). He is currently incarcerated at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office is still working a shooting incident in the 300 Block of Mark’s Pond Way. Sheriff’s Office deputies and James City County police officers had gone to a residence on Mark’s Pond Way to investigate a road rage incident that had occurred earlier in the day in James City County. When the deputies and officers arrived, a male opened fire on them from the upper floor of the residence. The suspect fired multiple rounds from a rifle, striking a James City County police car. No law enforcement officers were injured and the suspect is currently in custody. Here is the press conference from today.