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ELKINS – An Ohio man is behind bars after being accused of attempting to run over an Elkins Police Department officer with his vehicle.
Kevin Allen Strickland, 32, of Sunbury, Ohio, is charged with attempted murder and fleeing with reckless indifference. He is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $100,000 cash bond set by Randolph County Magistrate Ben Shepler.
Strickland is accused of trying to run down Patrolman J.H. White, who was on foot after performing a traffic stop of Strickland’s vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. Strickland was then able to flee the scene, on North Randolph Avenue, at more than 90 mph, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, prepared by White, at approximately 11:38 p.m. on March 27, White conducted a traffic stop on Strickland’s vehicle due to it having a driver’s side headlight out. Strickland told the officer during the stop that he did not have insurance. White wrote in the complaint that he “observed the defendant making many erratic movements within the vehicle.”
After asking Strickland if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, Strickland told the officer that there was marijuana within the automobile, the complaint states. After White asked Strickland to step out of the vehicle, the defendant sped off and made a U-turn within the roadway.
According to the complaint, Strickland then left his lane and drove towards White "at a high rate of speed in an attempt to hit me, and nearly striking me. If the defendant would have hit me, I would have been crushed between his vehicle and my patrol car."
“At the last second in an attempt to evade the vehicle, I had to run and jump behind my patrol vehicle, nearly causing me to fall into the ditch," White wrote in the complaint. "I believe doing the said maneuver saved my life. The defendant driving at me made me fear for my safety and life. The defendant attempted to kill me in an attempt to get away from the traffic stop.”
According to the complaint, the vehicle then sped down Railroad Avenue, where another City of Elkins patrolman pulled up behind Strickland to lead the pursuit. Strickland then led officers down Davis Avenue and back onto Randolph Avenue, running multiple stop signs in excess of 90 mph. Strickland nearly struck multiple vehicles while fleeing, and police lost contract with his vehicle and were unable to locate it, the complaint states.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and West Virginia State Police assisted in the pursuit.
A warrant was issued for Strickland’s arrest and he was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.