By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer
A man attempting to forge a prescription at a Williamsburg pharmacy broke from police custody Monday morning and led police on a high-speed chase down Kentucky 26 and eventually into briar thickets on a county road.
At around 10 a.m. Monday morning, employees at Kim’s Pharmacy on US Hwy. 25 in Williamsburg called police to report that Loyall Matthew Campbell, 25, had called earlier in the morning requesting to pick up prescription pain-killers. Employees at the pharmacy believed that Campbell was attempting to use a forged prescription to obtain the drugs.
According to Williamsburg Police Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson, employees called police back around 10:30 a.m. when Campbell arrived at the pharmacy. Officer Brad Boyd responded to the scene and placed Campbell in the back seat of his police cruiser. Jackson said Boyd reported he did not handcuff Campbell because he was being detained in the back of the cruiser, and was not yet under arrest.
Boyd then went back into the pharmacy to further investigate the situation, but the cruiser’s window had not been locked.
“The suspect was then able to get the window down and get out of Boyd’s cruiser. Officer Boyd saw this and commanded the suspect to stop and (the suspect) then got into his car,” Jackson said. “From there what he done, Officer Boyd, was to activate all his emergency equipment and the pursuit initiated.”
Jackson said the pursuit headed north on US 25 and continued north on Kentucky 26. Jackson said the pursuit reached speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour.
“The suspect was driving very erratically and showed a total disregard for public safety,” Jackson said.
Campbell then took a sharp turn onto Colonel Hollow Road in Rockholds. Jackson said the road eventually dead-ends and becomes dirt, which was “all mud” on Monday morning. When Campbell’s car became stuck in the mud, Jackson said Campbell allegedly attempted to flee on foot, and the pursuit continued into a briar thicket.
Campbell was eventually wrestled to the ground and placed under arrest. Jackson said Campbell was “uncooperative” throughout the entire incident. No one was injured during the course of the pursuit which lasted a total of 15-20 minutes according to Jackson.
According to police, Campbell lives on Colonel Hollow Road. In police pursuits, Jackson said suspects often flee to areas near their homes in an attempt to lose police — a tactic that Jackson said never works.
“It started off that he was going to be charged with one crime and now he has multiple felony charges. It’s never worth it to run from the police. You are going to get caught,” Jackson said.
Campbell was charged with first-degree fleeing and evading police, second-degree escape, first-degree wanton endangerment, driving under the influence, first-degree fleeing or evading police on foot and resisting arrest. Campbell was also charged with attempting to purchase a controlled substance with a forged prescription.
Williamsburg Police officers Lt. Jason Caddell, Detective Bobby Freeman, and Chief Wayne Bird assisted in the arrest. Jackson said the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department also assisted with the arrest and Emergency Management Director Jerry Rains helped close roads as the pursuit took place.
“We appreciate all the other county agencies coming together and helping with the pursuit; it went over some pretty rough terrain,” Jackson said.
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