William Feltner
COMBS – A Perry County man accused of ramming two police cruisers and leading officers on a foot pursuit earlier this week was arrested late Thursday, again after allegedly attempting to evade arrest.
Authorities first attempted to contact 35-year-old William Golden Feltner after receiving a tip from a homeowner on Wednesday, May 15 that Feltner had broken in to a house in the Christopher community. The homeowner had apparently followed Feltner to the CVS in Hazard where he called the Hazard Police Department.
Officers arrived at the business and located Feltner, but not before he fled the scene in a vehicle, according to Hazard Police Chief Minor Allen.
“Officers attempted to stop him, and did not pursue because there were some children in the vehicle,” Allen said. “They did follow at a safe distance without any emergency equipment on.”
Feltner was later spotted at Smitty’s gas station in Airport Gardens. Lt. Randy Napier and Patrolman Cruz Thornsberry attempted to block Feltner in the parking lot by pulling their cruisers in front of and behind Feltner’s vehicle.
“He (Feltner) backed up and rammed the cruiser behind him, then rammed the cruiser in front of him, then rammed the one behind him again,” Allen said.
Feltner eventually drove over a concrete retaining wall at the edge of the station’s parking lot, heading west toward Combs. Allen said some of the tires on Feltner’s vehicle had blown, and he abandoned the vehicle at the foot of a driveway a short distance from the gas station, where the car rolled backward into a police cruiser. Feltner was then alleged to have led police on a foot pursuit into the tree line.
State police troopers and officers with the Perry County Police joined the search, but Allen said he called off the search at the edge of dark, and officers began the process of obtaining warrants against Feltner Thursday morning.
Acting on a tip late Thursday night, officers with the HPD, Kentucky State Police, and the Perry County Police located Feltner at 358 Elm Shoal Branch in the Combs community, where again he led police on a foot pursuit, Allen said.
“He ran and officers had to restraint him. They were able to catch him and make the arrest.”
According to court records, Feltner is facing charges of second-degree assault on a police officer, first-degree wanton endangerment on a police officer, first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree wanton endangerment, reckless driving, disregarding a stop sign, disregarding a traffic light, second-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot), and first-degree fleeing or evading police (in a motor vehicle).
Allen said he was glad Feltner was taken into custody without further injury, and that the case can now head to the court system. Lt. Randy Napier, he noted, had sustained a leg injury during the initial arrest attempt on Wednesday.
Feltner, meanwhile, is currently lodged in the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard.
1 you are obviously one of the Barney Fifes that pulled this stupid stunt and is getting paid by the city of Hazard to be an idiot, even outside of the city limits.
2 learn to read a map, Airport Gardens is outside of the city limits of Hazard
3 If a punk like you rammed my car, you WON'T get away little lady.
4 Those buffoons couldn't function as a guard at Wal Mart.
5 My house is protected by my assault rifle three nights per week - you guess which three punk, do you feel lucky?!
They put the public at risk with the way they mishandled this situation.
The citizens of Hazard were being left unprotected while TWO of their patrolmen where out of the city trying to play cowboy.
And why couldn't they chase down the guy? We're they afraid of him or or just too lazy to go after him on foot?
What a laughing stock these two buffoons have made of the Hazard City Police Department.
Taxpayers deserve better and smarter law enforcement officers.
They should have to pay for the cruiser repairs out of their paychecks.
It's scary these two are allowed to carry a firearm.
No. 2 Officers were both in their jurisdiction and within their coverage area as the old ARH building is covered by the city police force.
No. 3 When a punk with his girlfriend and children begin ramming your car, your priorities change and sometimes you must let an idiot like yourself get away.
No. 4 These buffoons protect your rights as a fellow American... Suck that. Oh, and he was caught. So seriously, suck that.