GILES COUNTY, Va. – All charges against a Narrows police officer, who was originally indicted in connection with a deadly motorcycle crash in July 2020, have been dismissed.
“Under the circumstances, they are simply not present. So, I strike all the charges and the matters are dismissed,” said Giles County Circuit Court Judge Lee Harrell during Thursday’s proceedings.
Chad Stilley was indicted for failure to yield right of way, reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter about a year after the crash.
The charges were in connection to a fatal motorcycle crash last summer in Narrows at the intersection of US-460 and 3rd Street on July 24, 2020.
Michael Acord, 28, of Rich Creek, was the motorcyclist involved in the crash and died at the scene, according to Virginia State Police.
On Wednesday, two eyewitnesses took the stand and detailed their accounts of the crash. Narrows Police Chief Bentley Ratcliffe also testified.
On Thursday, Harrell said the prosecution had to prove gross negligence and that did not happen.
He said he recognized the remarkable position Commonwealth Attorney Chris Rehak was in by charging an officer and agreed that the facts needed to be examined and that his courtroom was the best stage for that to happen.
The biggest question that can’t be answered – why Michael Acord made the decision to elude the police.
In the end, there just wasn’t enough evidence to move forward.
The judge’s disposition toward this case underscores the emotion of the parties involved.
Michael Acord’s family has relived his death over and over and over again.
Officer Stilley has lived in limbo and was visibly emotional when the judge made his decision.
“He put his life on the line knowing a motorcycle was going 103mph and he put himself between that motorcycle and the minivan. That’s what we want officers to do and that’s exactly what Chad Stilley did that night. If he could have done a timeout and stopped everything, cleared all the traffic out, of course, he would do that but that’s not what real life is. He had to make split-second decisions. Mr. Acord made some decisions too and that’s really sad he made the decisions that he did,” said Chis Tuck, Stilley’s attorney.
Rehak released this statement following the judge’s dismissal of charges:
“It was a privilege and honor to represent the life of Michael Acord. As a former police officer myself, this was an extraordinarily difficult responsibility. Well before the Giles County grand jury returned indictments finding probable cause, I had already decided trial was appropriate, believing a fair-minded juror could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty based on all the facts and evidence. The Commonwealth’s actions were measured, appropriate and consistent with obligations to uphold the law without fear or favor.”
Radford City Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Rehak