Stinnett indicted for criminal attempt to commit murder

Brandon Stinnett was arrested on Oct. 5 and charged with criminal attempt to commit murder of a police officer.

A Whitley County Grand Jury has indicted a Williamsburg man for criminal attempt commit murder and several other charges stemming from an Oct. 5 chase that resulted in one police officer shooting at the suspect’s vehicle.

The grand jury indicted Brandon J. Stinnett, 24, charging him with two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and resisting arrest.

He is currently being held in the Whitley County Detention Center in lieu of a $100,000 cash bond.

The indictment alleged that on Oct. 5, Stinnett attempted to strike Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird and Detective Bobby Freeman with the vehicle he was driving with the intent to kill both officers.

The indictment further alleged that Stinnett manifested an extreme indifference to human life by wantonly driving his vehicle and nearly striking Kentucky State Police Trooper Dwayne Foley and Kandice Dodd with his vehicle.

In addition, Stinnett also allegedly manifested an extreme indifference to human life for his passenger, Melissa Bennett, by nearly striking other vehicles, and unlawfully restrained Bennett by not permitting her to leave his vehicle, according to his indictment.

Bird, who is the officer that shot at Stinnett’s vehicle, testified during an Oct. 17 preliminary hearing that Williamsburg police and Foley went to the Highway 204 residence of Dewey Canada to investigate a tip from Tennessee police that stolen property might be located there.

While at the residence, Stinnett’s pick-up truck, which didn’t have a bed or tail lights, turned into the driveway, and then pulled back out when he saw police vehicles.

This started a police pursuit on Highway 204, which turned onto Log Cabin Road, Pleas Barnhill Road and Bray’s Chapel Road and before turning back onto Log Cabin Road where it finally ended.

Bird said that he was a passenger in Freeman’s Tahoe truck on Log Cabin Road attempting to cut Stinnett off when

Officer Brandon Prewitt radioed that the fleeing truck was heading straight towards them at 80 mph.

The police Tahoe stopped and Bird and Freeman exited the vehicle.

Another vehicle, which was driven by Dodd, stopped about 75 yards behind Freeman’s vehicle.

Bird said that he yelled at Dodd trying to get her to exit her vehicle and get to safety.

Bird testified that about five to seven seconds later Stinnett’s vehicle topped the hill on the wrong side of the road in front of him and Freeman, and then accelerated right at them at a high rate of speed.

Bird jumped out of the way and into a ditch and yelled at Freeman to get out of the way too.

Bird fired three shots at Stinnett’s vehicle as it went by, but only one of the shots struck the fleeing truck. One bullet hit the driver’s side door but didn’t strike Stinnett.

Stinnett’s vehicle crashed about 300 feet after passing Freeman’s Tahoe.

“As he was crawling out, he was laughing,” Bird added.

According to its monthly report and indictments, the grand jury indicted 20 other people Monday, including:

• Robert Hollan, 43, of Corbin – first-degree rape, criminal attempt to commit first-degree sodomy and second-degree persistent felony offender. Hollan had a 2011 felony conviction for flagrant non-support in Breathitt County.

• Cameron Lowry, 38, of Oliver Springs, Tennessee – two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance-methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, first-degree persistent felony offender. Lowry has prior felony convictions for reckless endangerment, sale of cocaine, sale of Oxycodone and sale of marijuana.

• Cameron Mays, 23, of Williamsburg – first-degree criminal mischief.

• Donald Phillips, 54, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Ronald Richardson, 50, of Somerset – two counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $10,000. Richardson was also indicted for possession of marijuana.

• Brittany Hill, 27, of Gray, and Daniel Brandenburg, 33, of Woodbine – first-degree possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine. Hill was also indicated for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence.

• David Randle, 30, of Corbin – first-degree fleeing or evading police, two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree persistent felony offender. Randle has a 2011 felony conviction in Whitley County for third-degree assault.

• Tony Burks, 36, of Corbin – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance-methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and first-degree persistent felony offender. Burks has prior felony convictions for tampering with physical evidence and receiving stolen property-firearm.

• Ricky F. Stidham, 21, of Madison, Indiana – three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree assault.

• Kenneth M. Jody, 26, of Williamsburg – first-degree possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and first-degree promoting contraband-methamphetamine.

• Patricia M. Kidd, 26, of Williamsburg – second-offense, first-degree possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Jimmy Canada, 39, and Susan Greenly, 38, both of Williamsburg – first-degree possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

• Gregory Sokira, 46, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance-methamphetamine, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sokira has a 2012 Whitley County conviction for first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

• Lora D. Rose, 38, of Williamsburg – second-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $10,000. In a related case, George Hamblin, 34, of Williamsburg, was indicted for receiving stolen property over $500 but less than $10,000.

• William Lee Bryant, 43, of Williamsburg – second-offense failure to comply with sex offender registration and first-degree persistent felony offender. Bryant has prior felony convictions for third-degree assault, second-degree escape and first-degree rape.

• Roy L. Wells Sr., 55, of Corbin – two counts of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

In addition, the grand jury issued its routine report stemming from the Nov. 8 General Election, which included a review of reports of the various precinct officers, the election commission and the county clerk.

“After reviewing all the reports and information furnished to the grand jury, the grand jury found no information, which would warrant further investigation nor evidence of wrongdoing or abuse of the election process during the last election,” the report read. “The grand jury concludes that to the extent of the information provided to the grand jury, it appears that the election was conducted in a lawful and legal manner with no further inquiry required.”