Laura Peters

lpeters@newsleader.com

COVINGTON - A Covington man was arrested Sunday afternoon after a nearly four-hour police standoff at Lake Moomaw.

According to Alleghany County Sheriff Kevin Hall, police received calls about a man in body armor with an AR-15 rifle near the dam on the lake around 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

Roads in the vicinity of Lake Moomaw, which is on the border of Bath and Alleghany counties, were shut down and Virginia State Police and Bath County Sheriff's Office assisted Alleghany County in securing the area.

Dozens tour Augusta County courthouse

The man, Ricky Chittum, was arrested, without incident, around 3 p.m., Hall said.

"Supposedly he set up in the tower (of the dam) to protect it from ISIS," Hall said.

Hall said Chittum was camping around the Lake Moomaw area with his wife and friends until Sunday, when he sent his wife away. Hall said Chittum was afraid ISIS was going to target the tower of the dam, which controls the water levels, and flood Covington.

On August 25 Chittum was posting on his Facebook page, “Please Lord provide us with a place to have a pig roast for our community.”

Two days later, he was posting that God had anointed him a “General/Shepherd” in the Appalachian Christian Elite, or ACE.

Chittum has been charged with felony assault on an officer and brandishing a firearm. He will be evaluated by the local community service board, Hall said.

50 officers used in Waynesboro drug raid

Follow Laura Peters@peterslaura and@peterpants. You can reach her at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125.