Man wanted in West Virginia arrested in Lawrence County

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

LOUISA — The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and members of the U.S. Marshall’s Office on Tuesday apprehended a man being sought by Wayne County, W.Va., Sheriff Rick Thompson since Jan. 26 for ramming a cruiser with his vehicle during a pursuit.

Shawn “Shug” Risner, 35, of Wayne, W.Va., was located in the Fallsburg area of Lawrence County and charged by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office with fugitive from another state and was served with a warrant.

Risner has outstanding warrants for felony fleeing, destruction of property, possession with intent to deliver, pseudoephedrine altered, assault on a police officer and prohibited person from possessing a firearm, according to a release issued by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

Prior to the incident, Risner was already wanted for a parole violation.

Thompson said in a press release that the Wayne County Sheriff Drug Enforcement Unit initiated a traffic stop on Risner, who was known to be trafficking quantities of drugs. Risner fled north on Rt. 152 from Dunlow, W.Va., the release said, and used his truck to ram a Deputy’s cruiser and then side-swiped it during the pursuit, the release said.

The pursuit went through Big Branch Road and the Black Oak Gap area before Risner struck the cruiser again as they were maneuvering up a muddy hill, the release said. Deputies eventually terminated the pursuit for safety reasons, the release said.

The Sheriff’s Drug Enforcement Unit located a Glock handgun with an extended magazine and a large bag of methamphetamine that weighed approximately a quarter pound that was thrown from the vehicle, the release said.

Thompson said in the release that a passenger in the vehicle has been identified and is urged to contact the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at (304) 272-6378.

Risner was taken into custody and transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Johnson County.