Convicted Felon Surrenders To SWAT Team Following Stand Off: Sheriff

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A 65-year-old convicted felon man was taken into custody after a standoff with Stafford County sheriff's deputies on Wednesday night, according to authorities.

Deputies responded around 7:11 pm. for a report of shots being fired on Belle Plains Road. The caller reported hearing yelling and multiple gunshots being fired from a residence there.

"As deputies arrived, they observed a male outside the residence," according to the incident report. "Deputies announced they were with the Sheriff’s Office; however, the male declined to respond to commands and instead fled back into the residence. Due to the nature of the offense, out of an abundance of caution deputies held a perimeter and attempted to gather more information."

Investigators identified the suspect as Gregory Pitts, who was a convicted felon, according to the report. Pitts refused to respond to commands made by the deputies and instead closed all of the windows of residence.

"As the standoff continued, the SWAT Team responded to assist," according to the incident report. "They would introduce a communication device into the residence to make contact with Pitts. This would be effective, and Pitts would surrender without further incident."

Pitts was arrested and charged with reckless handling of a firearm, obstruction of justice, and weapon possession by a convicted felon, according to the sheriff's office. He was then held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

Pits was arraigned on Thursday morning in Stafford General District Court and a preliminary hearing was set for 1 p.m. on Nov. 13, according to court records.

The possession of a weapon by a convicted felon charge is a Class 6 felony, under the Code of Virginia. If Pitts is convicted on that charge, he faces a sentence of one to five years in prison, or at the discretion of the jury or the court trying the case without a jury, up to 12 months in jail and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.

Both the reckless handling of a firearm and obstruction charges are Class 1 misdemeanors, which are each punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, according to Virginia law.

On Thursday, Pitts was additionally charged with removing a firearm number, a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to court records. He was scheduled to appear in court at 8:15 a.m. on Friday to be arraigned on that charge.

On April 22, 2019, Pitts pleaded guilty in Stafford Circuit Court to a charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer, a Class 6 felony, according to court records. The charge stemmed from a Dec. 5, 2017 arrest.

Pitts was sentenced to five years in prison, with two years suspended, according to court records. He was also ordered to pay $5,270.55 in court costs.