An armed man was apprehended Friday night after being chased by the police into the back yard of the Chi Omega sorority house. He is currently being charged with escaping custody.
The suspect, Raheem Monroe, was wanted by the Charlottesville Police Department on outstanding warrants, said police Sergeant Joe Hatter, who added that additional charges have been filed for assault on a police officer.
Monroe was spotted by the police at 1800 University Avenue, near Rugby Road. When police tried to arrest him, Monroe fled on foot and he was ultimately located, with the assistance of police dogs, underneath the front porch of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house on Chancellor Street, Hatter said. The chase began at 6:26 p.m. and lasted 10 minutes.
Over the course of the pursuit, the Chi Omega sorority house and neighboring ATO house were surrounded by police officers.
Chi Omega President Elizabeth Steel, said police chased the fugitive into the backyard of the sorority house, causing a number of residents to scream.
"When we heard the screams, we all kind of hit the floor," Steel said.
After police surrounded the Chi Omega house, Monroe ran to the neighboring Alpha Tau Omega house, where he was arrested.
"I got there after the guy with the gun was there and was being handcuffed," said Alpha Tau Omega brother Zach Barrett. "It was crowded -- there were [approximately] 14 cops."
Witnesses identified Monroe as a black male, about six feet tall, perhaps in his late 20s and wearing an orange pique polo shirt with a University emblem.
The approximately 20 people in the Chi Omega house at the time were told to remain inside the house and gathered in the foyer in the event the house needed to be evacuated, Steel said.
No students were harmed during the arrest.
Steel said she was glad that everyone was safe and that the incident only caused a small amount of confusion among the girls.
"All in all, the situation turned out fine," Steel said.
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