A Virginia Beach police officer was flagged down by someone reporting an assault in the 1300 block of Atlantic Avenue at around 2:20 a.m, according to The Virginia Pilot. What followed was a foot chase on the beach that ended with an arrest, and a video that has since spread widely online.
According to The Virginia Pilot, the man at the center of it all is Timothy Allen Wegert, 33, of Monroe, a community near Lynchburg, Virginia. According to Virginia Beach police, cited by the outlet, Wegert is the person seen in the footage that has been circulating on social media.
The video appears to show an officer sprinting down the beach toward Wegert, who is wearing distinctive black and white striped pants. Wegert then squares up and attempts what appears to be a spinning heel kick aimed at the officer. The kick misses, and the officer tackles him to the ground. Three other officers can be seen moving in to assist.
Wegert is a former martial arts CEO and three-time world champion who was fired in 2021
According to Bill Peters, a family friend and owner of the UpLevel Martial Arts location in Virginia, told the outlet that Wegert is a three-time world champion in martial arts and holds a fourth-degree black belt. Peters said that Wegert trained with UpLevel since he was a child and went on to become the organization’s CEO and master instructor.
However, Peters said Wegert was fired as CEO in 2021 for conduct outside of the business, which Peters said included multiple assaults. More recently, according to Peters, Wegert had been teaching dance rather than martial arts.
Hours before the arrest, Wegert was apparently at Mahi’s, a venue a few blocks down Atlantic Avenue from where the incident occurred. Video appears to show him in the same black and white striped pants, mixing acrobatic dance moves with martial arts at the venue. Sometimes a night out ends with a quick exit, as with a woman fleeing a beach influencer event.
Casey Bunce, 42, a physical therapist from Virginia Beach, told The Virginian-Pilot that he recorded that video and that Wegert seemed to be “just dancing and having a good time.” Bunce said he had seen Wegert on the beach the day before and described him as “quite a character,” adding that he had heard Wegert had been at Mahi’s “going nuts” on the dance floor.
“He’s definitely an outgoing character but seems very nice,” Bunce said. “After I recorded the video I gave him a high five and he said, ‘Thank you brother,’ so he wasn’t aggressive at all.”
Peters, who described himself as knowing Wegert and his family well, echoed a similar sentiment about his background. “I know him very, very well, I know the whole family, what a nice family,” Peters said. “It’s a shame.”
According to Virginia Beach police, Wegert has been charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer, along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault, disorderly conduct, and two counts of obstruction of justice. The investigation is described as ongoing, and it remains unclear what specifically preceded the arrest. Late-night encounters with people in unusual attire can prompt police inquiries, such as a driver swerving for a helmeted man.
Under Virginia law, assaulting a law enforcement officer who is actively engaged in performing their official duties is addressed under Virginia Code § 18.2-57(C) and carries harsher penalties than a standard assault charge. A Class 6 felony in Virginia can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison.
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