SALEM (WSLS 10) - A man facing multiple charges in a Memorial Day pursuit on Interstate 81 and officer-involved shooting was indicted in Roanoke County Tuesday.
A Roanoke County grand jury handed up five felony charges Tuesday for Justin Howard St. Clair, 25 of Fincastle. He was charged with two felony counts of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer and three felony counts of brandishing a firearm.
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The incident happened May 25 shortly before 3 p.m. A Virginia state police officer said he initiated a traffic stop on a speeding 2003 Nissan Altima, traveling 95 mph in a posted 70 mph zone, heading south on I-81 near the 165 mile marker in Botetourt County. Officers said the driver of the Nissan, St. Clair, refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated.
Officers said St. Clair continued to drive south on I-81 and, just before the I-81 and I-581 merge in Roanoke County, the Nissan ran off the right side of the highway and crashed. St. Clair got out of the Nissan with a firearm and pointed it at the troopers, refusing to comply with demands to drop the weapon.
St. Clair was shot.
St. Clair was held in the Amherst County Jail on an unrelated offense. He will be transferred to the Western Regional Jail after Tuesday's indictments.
No troopers on scene were injured in the incident. After a multi-agency investigation, the Commonwealth's Attorney ruled the shooting was justified.