                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE; RESISTING ARREST; FLEEING FROM A LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICER;
PENALTIES (§ 18.2-460)

A. If any person without just cause knowingly obstructs a judge, magistrate,
justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement
officer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; 3.2-6555 in the
performance of his duties as such or fails or refuses without just cause to
cease such obstruction when requested to do so by such judge, magistrate,
justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, law-enforcement officer,
or animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; 3.2-6555, he is guilty of
a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. Except as provided in subsection C, any person who, by threats or force,
knowingly attempts to intimidate or impede a judge, magistrate, justice, juror,
attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement officer, or an
animal control officer employed pursuant to &#xA7; 3.2-6555 lawfully engaged in
his duties as such, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justice in
any court, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

C. If any person by threats of bodily harm or force knowingly attempts to
intimidate or impede a judge, magistrate, justice, juror, attorney for the
Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement officer, lawfully engaged in the
discharge of his duty, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justice in
any court relating to a violation of or conspiracy to violate &#xA7; 18.2-248 or
subdivision (a)(3), (b) or (c) of &#xA7; 18.2-248.1, or &#xA7; 18.2-46.2 or
&#xA7; 18.2-46.3, or relating to the violation of or conspiracy to violate any
violent felony offense listed in subsection C of &#xA7; 17.1-805, he is guilty
of a Class 5 felony.

D. Any person who knowingly and willfully makes any materially false statement
or representation to a law-enforcement officer or an animal control officer
employed pursuant to &#xA7; 3.2-6555 who is in the course of conducting an
investigation of a crime by another is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

E. Any person who intentionally prevents or attempts to prevent a
law-enforcement officer from lawfully arresting him, with or without a warrant,
is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. For purposes of this subsection,
intentionally preventing or attempting to prevent a lawful arrest means fleeing
from a law-enforcement officer when (i) the officer applies physical force to
the person, or (ii) the officer communicates to the person that he is under
arrest and (a) the officer has the legal authority and the immediate physical
ability to place the person under arrest, and (b) a reasonable person who
receives such communication knows or should know that he is not free to leave.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 18.1-310; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1976, c. 269;
1984, c. 571; 1989, c. 506; 1993, c. 747; 1996, c. 718; 1999, cc. 770, 800;
2002, cc. 527, 810, 818; 2003, cc. 111, 149; 2004, cc. 396, 435; 2007, cc. 220,
282; 2009, c. 242; 2018, c. 417.