A man who led Norfolk Police on a dangerous high-speed chase through the city and into Portsmouth last fall has pleaded guilty to felony eluding.
Blake Victor Butler, 36, admitted in court that he sped away from officers in a stolen vehicle on October 23, 2023. Norfolk Police had spotted the car near 27th and Church Streets and tried to pull it over. Instead, Butler hit the gas and led officers on a wild pursuit.
He reportedly ran multiple red lights, swerved into oncoming traffic, and reached speeds up to 90 mph. The chase went down Church Street, across Princess Anne Road and Tidewater Drive, then onto I-264 through the Downtown Tunnel. Police called off the pursuit in Portsmouth near the MLK Jr. Expressway due to safety concerns.
Officers later found the car ditched on County Street in Portsmouth — still running, door open, and pointed the wrong way. Butler was picked up shortly after at a nearby grocery store. Surveillance video confirmed he was the driver.
Butler pleaded guilty to felony eluding on June 16, without a plea deal. He’ll be sentenced on December 12. For now, he’s in substance abuse treatment.
“Running from the police always makes a bad situation worse,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Butler endangered everyone around him. While we’re glad he’s seeking treatment, that doesn’t erase what happened.”
Fatehi added that the sentence recommendation in December will weigh both the severity of Butler’s actions and his efforts toward recovery.