Man charged with attempted murder of a police officer in Elkins
Kevin Allen Strickland
ELKINS — An Ohio man is behind bars after being accused of attempting to run over an Elkins Police officer. 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, the officer stopped 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.” Asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, Strickland told the officer that there was marijuana inside, the complaint states. After White asked Strickland to step out of the vehicle, the defendant sped off and made a U-turn. According to the complaint, Strickland then left his lane and drove toward 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. “I believe doing the said maneuver saved my life. … The defendant attempted to kill me in an attempt to get away from the traffic stop.” Strickland then led officers in a pursuit, running multiple stop signs in excess of 90 mph. He 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 Regional Jail on Thursday afternoon.Local News
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