Mugshot of Valmon Glassford. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man is facing several felony charges after reportedly stealing a vehicle that was parked on the roadside and crashing into a police during an attempt to escape.
According to court documents, police were summoned to a location on Krondprindsen Gade on Monday afternoon in reference to the unauthorized use of a vehicle. Responding officers met with a woman, who said that she had parked her purple Acura MDX along the roadside to go get some food from a nearby establishment. The key was left in the cupholder, she told police.
A short while later, the woman was inside the eatery when she reportedly heard her male friend shouting that “they” had gone with the vehicle.
Officers in the area who heard the transmission from Central Dispatch about the stolen vehicle began to canvas the area for the MDX. It was soon sighted at Mafolie Hill, on Maude Proudfoot Drive. Police converged on the vehicle’s location and attempted to initiate a stop using lights and sirens. The driver, later identified as Valmon Glassford, refused to pull over, instead driving into the police unit. Glassford then reportedly exited the Acura he had just damaged, jumped over the damaged police vehicle, and attempted to flee on foot, heading towards Valdemir Senior Drive Lookout.
Other officers gave chase to the lookout, where they encountered Mr. Glassford hiding behind a white vehicle while a bystander shouted at him to get away. The suspect reportedly refused again to comply with police orders, attempting to run towards the gate of the lookout. Police say they ultimately had to resort to their taser in order to gain control of the situation and get Glassford into handcuffs.
He was ultimately transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center to be treated for the puncture wounds caused by the taser, and then arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, being in possession of stolen property, disobeying a lawful order, resisting arrest, destruction of government property, and reckless driving.
Unable to meet the initial bail of $50,000, Glassford was remanded into custody to await his first court appearance.
In court on Tuesday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis found probable cause to uphold the charges against him and signed a pre-trial release order, the details of which have not been made available to the public as of press time. Glassford’s next court appearance has been scheduled for March 15.
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