Brother of Augusta County sheriff charged with attempted murder, jailed without bond
CHURCHVILLE — The twin brother of Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith has been jailed on numerous felony charges, including attempted capital murder, after he allegedly stole the sheriff's semi-truck Tuesday afternoon and reportedly rammed a deputy's vehicle during a chase.
Besides attempted murder, Ronald W. Smith, 41, of Churchville, is facing charges of driving under the influence of drugs, felony destruction of property, felony eluding, obstruction of justice, and unauthorized use of a vehicle, a press release said.
On Tuesday at about 4 p.m., Sheriff Smith called his office and requested assistance with getting a stolen vehicle stopped, and said his brother was behind the wheel of a 2000 International semi with a goose-neck trailer attached. Sheriff Smith said he tried stopping the truck near the intersection of Churchville Avenue and Eagle Rock Lane but was unsuccessful.
The truck continued on Churchville Avenue and then headed north on Va. 262. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle at the intersection of Va. 262 and Commerce Road but the suspect reportedly refused to pull over. A pursuit continued through the intersection and onto Woodrow Wilson Parkway, the release said.
The suspect turned onto Balsey Road but made an abrupt U-turn in a driveway. Deputies used tire deflation devices but the truck kept going. The pursuit continued through Verona to Fort Defiance Road and into the parking lot of S. Gordon Stewart Middle School. Ronald Smith then drove into the parking lot of Clymore Elementary School, where he allegedly rammed a deputy’s vehicle and reportedly attempted to pin a second deputy’s vehicle between the stolen truck and trailer, according to the release.
Tire deflation devices were again used to disable the truck in the parking lot, and a K-9 was utilized in an attempt to take Ronald Smith into custody. When that failed, deputies continued giving him commands to exit the vehicle but he allegedly did not comply.
While inside the truck, the suspect shouldered a hay spear that resembled a long rifle, the release said. Deputies were later able to determine it was a piece of metal and not a firearm. Deputies finally opened opened the driver-side door and ordered Ronald Smith out of the vehicle. He complied and was arrested.
Ronald Smith was taken to Augusta Health in Fishersville with injuries to his left arm from the K-9 utilization. Following his release from the hospital, he was jailed without bond.
“As your sheriff, I am not exempt from family issues and addiction problems," Sheriff Smith said. “I’m extremely grateful that no one was seriously hurt by my brother’s actions, and commend my deputies and the Virginia State Police for ending this situation safely."
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Brother of Augusta County sheriff charged with attempted murder
