MIDDLETOWN — Middletown Police Chief Gary Benedict Jr. was injured Tuesday morning while investigating a suspect who later allegedly stole a van at knifepoint and led authorities on a multi-jurisdictional pursuit.

Benedict had gone to the 7-Eleven at 7600 Main St. shortly after 9:30 a.m. to question the man about a stolen phone when the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle and struck the police chief, according to a media release from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). Benedict was treated at Winchester Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries and released later in the day.

The suspect, Juan Vashaun Payne, 51, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, then allegedly carjacked a van at knifepoint on Interstate 81 and led authorities on a pursuit through multiple jurisdictions. He

See Full Page