Fugitive Accused of Assaulting Virginia Deputy Caught

STUART, Va. --

A Surry County man who managed to elude authorities in two states for more than a month was taken into custody Wednesday in Ararat, authorities say.

Steven Darrell Bonham, 29, of 3243 Red Brush Road, Mount Airy, was wanted in connection with an Oct. 26 incident in which he allegedly assaulted a Patrick County deputy by running him over with a pickup during a chase.

Bonham was being held Wednesday night in the Patrick County Jail without privilege of bond.

While being sought in the assault case, Bonham allegedly was involved in another chase on Nov. 21 that originated in Surry County, N.C., and progressed into Carroll County.

Like the earlier pursuit involving the officer’s assault, that chase ended with Bonham escaping on foot and eluding authorities, despite manhunts using a Virginia State Police helicopter.

In the meantime, Patrick County officials also had enlisted the help of the U.S. Marshal’s Service in trying to locate the fugitive.

The efforts paid off Wednesday with Bonham’s capture at a house trailer at 1152 Longbranch Road in Ararat, without incident.

“I am thankful that we were able to safely arrest Bonham and bring this to closure,” Patrick Sheriff Dan Smith said afterward.

Smith said that the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office had received information that Bonham was at the trailer. Member’s of the Sheriff’s Office tactical response team and a K-9 unit from the Virginia State Police then responded to that location.

Bonham was apprehended as he attempted to run out the back of the residence, the sheriff said. “Once he knew he could not escape, he offered no resistance to our commands,” Smith added.

The wanted man was arrested on four warrants for charges of malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, felony hit and run, felony destruction of property and felony eluding a law enforcement officer.

Those violations stem from the Oct. 26 vehicle pursuit in which Lt. Rob Coleman of the Patrick Sheriff’s Office was run over by Bonham.

Coleman and another officer had chased Bonham along Friends Mission Road to Willis Gap Mountain Road, where the pursuit stopped at one point. Coleman had exited his patrol vehicle to approach Bonham, who then backed his pickup into the second officer’s car and also ran over Coleman.

The injured officer fired his service weapon at the suspect, who wasn’t hit and sped away, eventually crashing the pickup into a tree in a nearby orchard and fleeing on foot.

Coleman was treated for multiple injuries at Northern Hospital of Surry County and returned to work soon after.

More than three weeks later, Bonham was involved in another chase that started when a Surry County detective pulled over two vehicles on White Pines Country Club Road north of Mount Airy.

That officer recognized Bonham, who was operating one of the vehicles, a Datsun four-wheel-drive. Bonham then fled that scene, sparking a chase that progressed into Carroll County. It ended with Bonham driving through a hayfield and into some woods before jumping and running.

Sheriff Smith said Wednesday that Bonham also was arrested on the outstanding charges from Carroll County.

This article appeared in Thursday's edition of the Mount Airy News.

Copyright 2008 by WXII12.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.