Altercation with officer leads to discovery of meth lab

Chris Broyles

A Williamsburg man allegedly pushed a police officer, ran away from him, had to be Tasered and then admitted he had been manufacturing methamphetamine that morning, which is the same offense he was indicted for committing less than one week earlier during a separate incident.

About 1:32 a.m. Saturday, Williamsburg Police Sgt. Brandon White charged Christopher Broyles, 33, of 117 13th Street, with second-offense manufacture of methamphetamine, second-degree fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest and second-offense possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).

While he was following up on an extra patrol request in the 13th Street area White observed Della Smith, Bryan Blair and Chris Broyles, according to Broyles arrest citation.

Broyles had some items and bags in his hands and when White asked him what he was doing, Broyles started to walk away from him, White wrote on the arrest citation.

When White approached Broyles, Broyles allegedly shoved him away, then turned and ran into a field with White in pursuit, according to the citation.

Broyles stopped and went to the ground after White Tasered him.

At the police department, officers found a plastic baggy in Broyles’ pants with a white substance that Broyles allegedly told them was 5.4 grams of meth, White wrote on the citation.

Broyles also had five outstanding warrants for his arrest, Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird said in a release.

Broyles also allegedly told police that when he was stopped, he had just left an abandoned house, which had an active meth lab inside. Officer Elijah Hunter and K-9 Officer Jason Strunk went to the house where they discovered an active meth lab that Broyles told them was his, according to an arrest citation.

A Kentucky State Police clean-up team was called to the scene and disposed of the meth lab.

Bird said the meth lab was discovered in the basement of the abandoned house, which was located a few feet from the residence where Broyles lives.

Bird said the extra patrols were the result of requests from neighbors in that area due to copper thefts and suspected drug usage.

Williamsburg police also arrested Della Smith at the scene and served her with an indictment warrant for manufacturing methamphetamine.

Smith, Broyles and four other individuals were indicted on Oct. 20 for manufacturing methamphetamine. On Aug. 17, they allegedly unlawfully possessed two or more chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine. White also investigated that case.

Bird said that police were tracking an i-Pad, which had been reported stolen, when the first meth lab was discovered.

Both Smith and Broyles were lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Broyles pled not guilty to his latest charges during his arraignment Monday in Whitley District Court.

Judge Cathy Prewitt appointed the public advocate’s office to represent Broyles, scheduled a Nov. 3 preliminary hearing in his case and set a $50,000 cash bond that also requires Broyles to wear an ankle-monitoring device if he is released from custody.
KSP Trooper Les Moses and Williamsburg Police Officers Arron Peace and Tim Shelley also assisted White at the scene.