The University of Virginia witnessed chaos on Tuesday as a police pursuit unfolded following a man accused of evading a traffic stop and causing collisions with at least two vehicles. This incident led to the cancellation of classes and a shelter-in-place order being issued for students, faculty, and staff.
Officials in Charlottesville reported that the shelter-in-place order was lifted in the early afternoon after campus police indicated that they believed the suspect had left the vicinity. The situation began when university police issued an emergency alert around 9 a.m., urging everyone on campus to stay indoors as they searched for the suspect.
According to reports from law enforcement, the episode began when a state trooper attempted to pull over a Chevrolet Impala for having an expired inspection sticker. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop, prompting a pursuit by state police. The pursuit ended in a collision involving a state police vehicle and at least one other car, although no injuries were immediately reported.
Authorities identified the suspect as Nyheem Hill, with both Albemarle County and UVA police sharing this information in their updates. Campus police clarified that Hill had no known affiliation with the university.
In response to the unfolding events, all classes scheduled for Tuesday were canceled, with UVA police confirming the resumption of classes on Wednesday in a subsequent update. This disruption to the university’s routine was a result of the intense police activity following the pursuit.
