Fairfax Man Who Fled Traffic Stop Faces 9 Charges, Including 1 Felony

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — A 63-year-old Fairfax man who tried to escape from a traffic stop early Sunday morning in Fairfax City faces nine charges, including one felony, according to authorities.

Fairfax City police officers were on patrol shortly after 2 a.m. when they spotted a vehicle speeding and swerving near the intersection of Fairfax Boulevard and Fair Woods Parkway, according to the incident report.

When the officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, the driver refused to cooperate and tried to elude officers, according to police. He was arrested a short time later in the 3100 block of Barnard Court in Fairfax County.

Frank Whitestone of Fairfax was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he was charged with obstructing justice, driving under the influence, assault and battery of a police officer, refusal, reckless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked license, vehicle to be under proper control, and disregarding or eluding law enforcement, according to the report. He was then held until he was deemed sober.

Whitestone has a preliminary hearing set for 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 2 in Fairfax City General District Court on seven charges, according to court documents. The charges are either misdemeanors or traffic infractions.

Whitestone is scheduled to be arraigned on the two remaining charges at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday in Fairfax County General District Court, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m., on March 4.

While the obstruction/resisting arrest without force charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor, the assault on law enforcement charge is a Class 6 felony. If convicted on this charge, Whitestone faces a possible sentence of one to five years in prison or up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $2,500, under the Code of Virginia.