TAZEWELL COUNTY, VA (WVNS) — Officers with the Richlands Police Department responded to a call at Richlands High School on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 7:22 p.m.
One man was asked to leave Ernie Hicks stadium, as staff reportedly said the man was intoxicated. They also noticed he had a gun with him while inside the stadium.
Witnesses said he fled the scene and then crashed his vehicle. Residents near the crash said he then fled the scene. Due to the fact he had a gun on school grounds, officials asked attendees, players, and coaches to shelter in place unitl the situation was dealt with.
Officers from the Cedar Bluff Police Department, Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department, and Virginia State Police helped Richland police officers tracked down 30-year-old Zachary Cochran not far from the school at 8:09 p.m.
Cochran was charged with Possession of a Firearm on School Property, Carrying a Handgun in Public While Intoxicated, Driving Under the Influence, and a Hit and Run of Unattended Property.
He was taken to Tazewell County Regional Jail.
There was also a passenger in the vehicle with Cochran, who was charged with underage possession of alcohol by consumption.