Sheriff's deputies and police officers responding to a call about a road-rage shooting in Virginia were fired on by a man in what one law enforcement officer described as "an ambush," riddling the police car with more than 100 bullet holes.
Andrew Susalis, 35, was arrested after the incident in York County on Wednesday afternoon and faces more than a half-dozen charges, including two counts of attempted second-degree murder, officials said.
The mayhem began when deputies from the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office and the James City County Police arrived at a house to investigate a road-rage incident from earlier that morning.
As they exited their cars, a man opened fire on them with a high-powered rifle from the upper floor of a nearby home, shooting multiple rounds at the officers and leaving the police cruiser pockmarked with bullet holes.
"We counted, conservatively, 100 holes in that car," Sheriff Ron Montgomery said at a news conference.
One of the officers was able to find shelter by the cruiser.
"He was on the inside of that vehicle, near the curb, the entire, approximately five minutes, of shooting that was occurring, until the shooting stopped," James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison said.
"Once they got the suspect in custody, they were able to get him from there and our medics were on the scene and were able to administer any aid that he needed, as well as the other officers," he added.
The officers didn't return fire because they couldn't determine where the gunshots were coming from.
None of the officers was injured.
Jamison emphasized: "We don't sign up to pull up to a house trying to protect the community and take over 100 rounds from a rifle," but he noted that such a thing is (clearly) possible.
"I'm just extremely pleased and grateful that our officers were not severely injured, that they survived this by the grace of God and they're alive today," he said, terming the incident as "an ambush."
Susalis is being held in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
