UPDATE, April 6: The local prosecutor says there is no evidence that the shooting "was in retaliation for [Gene Crum's] stance against prescription pill abuse," despite "rampant speculation and conjecture," Travis Crum of The Charleston Gazette reports. The shooter's father said the son "was mentally disturbed and had no particular vendetta with law enforcement," Crum writes.
A new West Virginia sheriff, both elected and delivering on promises to clean up Mingo County's drug problem, "was gunned down at midday Wednesday in downtown Williamson," on the Kentucky border, The Charleston Gazette reports.
Sheriff Eugene Crum, left, "who took office at the beginning of the year, has led an effort dubbed Zero Tolerance," writes Julia Roberts Goad of the Williamson Daily News. "His crusade to address the drug problem in the county has brought a lot of attention to the sheriff."
Shot and arrested after a chase and shootout with a deputy sheriff was Tennis Melvin Maynard, 37, of Delbarton, where Crum had been police chief before serving as a county magistrate. Witnesses said Maynard shot Crum as the sheriff sat in his car. "The scene in Williamson was one that came straight out of a nightmare," writes Rachel Baldwin of the Daily News. "You could hear crying, screaming and shouts of anger as the family, friends and co-workers strived to deal with the loss of one of their finest."
"Crum took office in January," the Gazette notes. "He campaigned on ridding the county of drugs, particularly prescription painkillers," and "had been aggressive as a county magistrate in setting up a drug task force with local police departments," which seemed successful.
"Drugs are a terrible plague and scourge facing much of southern West Virginia, but at least here in Mingo County, Eugene was working very hard to eradicate this problem prior to becoming the sheriff but had stayed aggressive in his pursuit in stopping pill mills around the county," local state House member Harry White said. "To think he was gunned down in broad daylight highlights the dangerous position our men and women in law enforcement place themselves in every day." (Read more)
A new West Virginia sheriff, both elected and delivering on promises to clean up Mingo County's drug problem, "was gunned down at midday Wednesday in downtown Williamson," on the Kentucky border, The Charleston Gazette reports.
Shot and arrested after a chase and shootout with a deputy sheriff was Tennis Melvin Maynard, 37, of Delbarton, where Crum had been police chief before serving as a county magistrate. Witnesses said Maynard shot Crum as the sheriff sat in his car. "The scene in Williamson was one that came straight out of a nightmare," writes Rachel Baldwin of the Daily News. "You could hear crying, screaming and shouts of anger as the family, friends and co-workers strived to deal with the loss of one of their finest."
"Crum took office in January," the Gazette notes. "He campaigned on ridding the county of drugs, particularly prescription painkillers," and "had been aggressive as a county magistrate in setting up a drug task force with local police departments," which seemed successful.
"Drugs are a terrible plague and scourge facing much of southern West Virginia, but at least here in Mingo County, Eugene was working very hard to eradicate this problem prior to becoming the sheriff but had stayed aggressive in his pursuit in stopping pill mills around the county," local state House member Harry White said. "To think he was gunned down in broad daylight highlights the dangerous position our men and women in law enforcement place themselves in every day." (Read more)
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