Virginia man assaults woman and officer, vehicle goes up in flames following chase

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – A Virginia man is facing multiple charges after assaulting a woman and an officer. 

The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old William Alexander Chandler of Spotsylvania, Virginia. 

Police arrived in the area of Plank Road and the Harrison Crossing shopping center where citizens witnessed a violent domestic assault between a man and woman resulting in injuries to the woman. According to police, the domestic altercation continued into a vehicle that went west on Plank Road towards Orange County. 

911 dispatchers received calls from witnesses and an officer spotted the vehicle in the area of Plank Road and Elys Ford Road. The vehicle initially stopped in the area of the intersection, but drove off at high speeds with the woman screaming in the vehicle. 

Officials chased the vehicle for several miles until it lost control and crashed in the area of Orange Plank Road and Brock Road. According to police, they were able to rescue the female victim and take the male suspect into custody. After the suspect was taken into custody, he spat into the face of a detective.

He was arrested and charged with felony eluding, violation of an emergency protective order, assault on law enforcement, domestic assault, abduction by force, malicious wounding, obstruction of justice by flight, obstruction of justice without force, driving while suspended and no insurance. 

Chandler was incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Jail under no bond.