Murphy

BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County incident led to a man being arrested after allegedly leading police on a chase through downtown Buckhannon, wrecking his vehicle into a tree and then struggling to flee from police, eventually being tased and punched before officers were able to handcuff him, according to court documents.

James Olen Murphy, 64, has been charged with fleeing with reckless indifference, a felony, and resisting arrest and obstructing, both misdemeanors. He is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $100,000 surety/cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, prepared by Sgt. T.M. Stewart of the Buckhannon Police Department, Murphy was operating a Honda Accord on Amalia Drive on Friday, Aug. 22 at approximately 7:50 a.m., and “had struck another vehicle and and left the scene.”

Stewart writes that he “attempted to stop the defendant using blue lights and siren, and (Murphy) failed to stop and ran a red light at Main/Locust street, causing traffic to stop,” the complaint states. Murphy allegedly turned on Spring Street, running a stop sign, then turned onto Madison Street, running another stop sign.

Murphy reportedly then turned into the Wendy’s restaurant parking lot and then onto Kanawha Street, and ran another stop sign, “almost striking a tractor trailer,” and then turned east onto Main Street, running another stop sign and “accelerated to 65 mph in a 25 mph zone,” according to the complaint.

After running three more stop signs, Murphy allegedly turned onto Camden Avenue “traveling towards the walk trail at speeds averaging 45 mph to 65 mph,” the complaint states. Murphy “traveled around the walk trail round and went around two Upshur County deputies and through a residence’s yard back on the roadway, and attempted to go through a field and struck a tree,” Stewart writes.

Murphy “attempted to flee on foot from officers but had to be tased again to gain control of the defendant,” according to the complaint.

During the pursuit, “several individuals that were almost struck by the defendant and a lot of school kids waiting at their bus stops,” Stewart wrote. “The defendant had no regard for anyone’s safety.”

In a separate police document, Corporal T.R. Collins of the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, wrote that he joined in the pursuit of Murphy’s vehicle and “met the vehicle head-on at the WVWC walk-trail.” He writes that Murphy “attempted to navigate around me” and lost control of the vehicle “and crashed into a tree.”

Collins then pulled beside the vehicle “to block the driver from fleeing on foot,” and “gave multiple verbal commands to the driver ..,. to show me his hands,” the complaint states. A Buckhannon City Police officer then attempted to restrain Murphy but could not, so Collins deployed his taser on Murphy “which allowed the officer to get the defendant out of the vehicle.”

Outside of the vehicle, Murphy “was still actively resisting arrest,” Collins writes, noting that he “began helping the other officers by applying a pressure point right below the defendant’s ear.” While another officer was trying to handcuff Murphy, who allegedly kept struggling, Collins then “applied a closed fist punch to the side of the defendant, which caused (Murphy) to release his grip and allowed (another office) to finish handcuffing” him, according to the complaint.