A man who led Henrico County police on a high-speed chase through Richmond that caused the death of a pastor from Church Hill has been sentenced to 13 years in jail. Twenty-seven-year-old Darryl Harris was pursued by officers at speeds estimated at 90-100 mph during the incident on residential streets in Richmond's East End. Richmond's Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring called the man's actions "beyond reckless."

The incident, which began when Harris fled a police checkpoint on March 24th, has raised questions about the merits of chasing suspects at high speeds in areas considered to be residential. Of police speeds during the chase, Herring said:

"I don't want to render an opinion on whether they were driving recklessly."

"No citizen wants any car -- even a police car -- traveling through a residential area at speeds north of 90 mph. People also, though, expect the police to catch criminals."

After fleeing the checkpoint, Harris' car slammed into a pickup truck driven by Apostle Anthony Taylor, who was ejected from his vehicle and crushed by it. Harris pled guilty in Richmond on July 14th to hit-and-run, aggravated involuntary manslaughter and felony eluding police as well as entering guilty pleas in Henrico for Ecstasy possession and possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Harris received 10 and a half years for the charges in Richmond and two and a half years for the Henrico charges for a total of 13 years in prison. Prosecutors in Richmond withdrew charges of driving under the influence second offense and second-degree murder in exchange for the plea.

Both Herring and Harris' Virginia criminal lawyer commented to the press about the decision to reach the plea agreement. Herring conceded that convincing a jury to convict the man on a second-degree murder charge might be difficult considering that police retained Harris' license and could have located him without giving chase. Harris' lawyer said the case "posed a risk for going to trial."

This article is presented by The Law Office of Price Benowitz, LLP, serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For more information, please visit our Maryland DUI Lawyer and DC Criminal Lawyer websites.