For Immediate Release: March 24, 2023

On March 23, 2023, Chip Rodney Daniels, a 41-year-old Texas resident, was sentenced to 10 years of active incarceration upon his convictions for three counts of Attempted Malicious Wounding-Felony and one count each of Hit & Run-Felony, Destruction of Property-Felony, and Reckless Driving-Misdemeanor. The charges were related to Daniel’s actions on March 22, 2021, when he intentionally drove his vehicle into a Verizon store located in the Potomac Yards neighborhood of Alexandria.

The evidence presented in the matter established that Daniels went to the Verizon store seeking to have his phone service disconnected. When told store employees could not help him, Daniels became irate and stated he was going to crash his vehicle into the store. Daniels then entered his vehicle, backed out of his parking spot, and intentionally accelerated his vehicle into the store, narrowly avoiding a collision with employees within. Daniels then drove away down the wrong side of the road and made good his escape. He was ultimately taken into custody in North Carolina.

Daniels was sentenced to 10 years of active incarceration in the Department of Corrections, with additional prison time suspended upon the following conditions: his compliance with supervised probation for a period of three years upon his release from prison, his not returning to the Verizon store, his having no contact with the victims, his payment of restitution, and his uniform good behavior for a period of 10 years upon release from prison. While on probation, Daniels must undergo a mental health assessment and complete any recommended treatment.

The case was investigated by the Alexandria Police Department. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Harsh Voruganti and Katherine Beye prosecuted the matter on the behalf of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter said: “This significant sentence imposed in this disturbing case both holds the defendant accountable for his intentional actions and protects the community from further acts of violence. We are extremely fortunate the defendant did not physically injure the victims, despite his intentional and violent actions. I would like to thank the Alexandria Police Department for it’s thorough and professional investigation of this matter.”

The defendant is incarcerated in the William G. Truesdale Alexandria Adult Detention Center pending his transfer to the Virginia Department of Corrections.