Trending
PHILIPPI – A Barbour County man faces a felony charge after allegedly making a “citizens arrest” and holding another man at gunpoint.
Thomas Jacob Kimbrew, 42, of Philippi, is charged with one count of wanton endangerment involving a firearm, a felony. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $25,000 property/surety bond.
According to the criminal complaint, filed by Trooper K.D. Moss with the West Virginia State Police Philippi Detachment, on Nov. 1, Moss was responding to a residence on Maple Street in reference to a welfare check.
The caller, later identified as Kimbrew, stated he was looking inside the residence and allegedly witnessed the alleged victim “mentally unstable with a gun,” the complaint states. As Moss was en route to the scene, the Barbour County Communications Center notified him that Kimbrew made a second call, stating he had confronted the alleged victim about stealing his firearm.
Kimbrew reportedly said the alleged victim was under citizens arrest. Kimbrew allegedly told 911 the alleged victim reached under his shirt and Kimbrew pulled out his firearm, asking the alleged victim to lay down the ground. The alleged victim then ran away.
Moss and Deputy Parks with the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office detained the alleged victim on North Main Street, the complaint states. Upon the officers’ approach, Moss observed the alleged victim to be out of breath and sweating profusely. No firearm was reportedly found on the alleged victim’s person, and he told police he did not have Kimbrew’s stolen firearm.
Moss then approaches Kimbrew on North Main Street, the complaint states. Kimbrew allegedly stated he did have a firearm on his person and Moss retrieved the firearm from Kimbrew’s waistband. Moss found the firearm was unloaded with no ammunition in the chamber.
Upon searching Kimbrew’s person, Moss allegedly found a magazine with ammunition for the firearm in Kimbrew’s pants pocket, police said. Moss writes that the firearm found on Kimbrew did not match the description of the stolen firearm.