Cops and Courts, Latest News

Terra Alta man charged after allegedly fleeing, hitting cop with flashlight

KINGWOOD — Junior Joshua Poling, of Terra Alta, faces multiple felony charges after police said he fled from and fought with them.

Poling, 33, was in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail Monday in lieu of $100,000 bond. He is charged with fleeing with reckless indifference, malicious wounding and false registration.

According to criminal complaints by Preston Sheriff’s Deputy R. Martin Jr.: On Sunday he did a traffic stop on W.Va. 7, near the Kingwood Division of Health and Human Resources office, on a Jeep with no registration light. About four people got out of the Jeep and took off when the deputy got out of his cruiser, and the Jeep sped off.

Martin pursued it east on Route 7 through Kingwood and up Caddell Mountain. The Jeep swerved between lanes. Near Evans Curve, Martin got beside the Jeep and kept it from reaching the turn. It slid and the driver, identified as Poling, lost control.

Poling ran and was tackled and tased by Martin. Poling hit the deputy in the nose and mouth with a flashlight, causing bleeding. Two other deputies arrived and helped to detain Poling, who was taken to Preston Memorial for “medical clearance” before being jailed.

Tweet @DominionPostWV