‘Career criminal’ arrested in Prestonsburg following police chase

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

PRESTONSBURG — The pursuit of a wanted felon Thursday in Floyd County led to charges of attempted murder of a police officer.

Tommy Shepherd of Open Fork of David was served with four felony warrants and was charged with attempted murder of a police officer; third-degree assault of a police officer; three counts of wanton endangerment of a police officer; first-degree fleeing/evading police on foot and in a vehicle; possession of methamphetamine; first-degree criminal mischief; tampering with physical evidence; resisting arrest; and criminal littering.

He is charged as a first-degree persistent felony offender.

According to a press release issued by the Prestonsburg Police Department, officers were conducting a “saturation patrol” on a suspected drug dealer’s home in downtown Prestonsburg when they received information that Shepherd was in Prestonsburg. Shepherd was a wanted felon in possession of a firearm, had a large quantity of drugs and made statements that he was “not going back to jail,” the release said.

During that patrol, officers observed a 2014 Nissan passenger car registered to Martin Shepherd of David come into the area and then flee at a high rate of speed, the release said.

Patrolman Brad Caldwell followed the vehicle, which he observed travelling through downtown at a high rate of speed and crossing into the wrong lane of traffic, the release said. Caldwell attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it fled from him, the release said.

Caldwell and four other officers chased to the vehicle, which was eventually brought to a stop by its operator, Martin Shepherd, who was attempting to exit the vehicle, the release said.

As officers descended on the vehicle to attempt an arrest, Tommy Shepherd, who was the passenger, was forcing the operator to continue fleeing and then jumped into the driver's seat and pushed the accelerator and attempted to strike patrolman Zach Neice with the vehicle, the release said.

Shepherd struck Neice's crusier and then continued fleeing to Ky. 850 at David, the release said.

“Once Shepherd reached a residence at Open Fork, he exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but was no match for Patrolman Jake Chaffins who apprehended a then fighting Shepherd,” the release said.

After a brief attempt to resist and get away from Chaffins and Neice, Shepherd was arrested and lodged in the Floyd County Detention Center on the following charges:

“Shepherd is a career criminal who is convicted of multiple prior felonies and has been in and out of prison throughout his adult life and was again wanted,” the release said. “The officers on shift exhibited service above self in an attempt to remove this violent danger to society from the streets and maintain the law and order that the stakeholders of this City expect, and they did so in an unwavering fashion and without hesitation.”

This case remains under investigation by Caldwell and Prestonsburg Police Captain Randy G. Woods.