Suspect shot in police chase, crash; charges filed
Charges were filed Friday against a West Virginia man who was shot while allegedly fleeing police from Uniontown to Haydentown, resulting in an injured officer and multiple crashes.
State police issued a warrant for Steve Eric Deberry, 59, of Dellslow, West Virginia, who was hospitalized after he was shot in the chest and left arm.
He is charged with criminal attempt to commit homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest and fleeing or attempting to elude officers.
State police said a resident recognized Deberry from the newspaper as having an active bench warrant. He called in a tip to Uniontown City Police Department at about 2 p.m., saying that Deberry was at NAPA Auto Parts.
City police approached the man, who allegedly refused to get out of his vehicle. Instead, he accelerated and dragged an officer who was attempting to extract him, state police said.
City police pursued the suspect in his black Volkswagen Jetta through Uniontown to South Union Township and Route 857 (Georges Fairchance Road). The man drove through a red light, police said, and hit a woman’s vehicle on Morgantown Street in Fairchance. The impact sent her vehicle careening into a pole by the borough building on West Church Street. The driver, Jan Krupa of Smithfield, suffered only minor injuries in the high-speed collision.
She said she was driving to Shop ‘n Save when she approached the intersection, saw a black streak and felt the impact.
The crash caused the suspect’s vehicle to spin out of control, damaging neighboring property. Uniontown police officers converged on his vehicle, but Deberry refused to get out, state police said. He allegedly accelerated and hit a city police officer, throwing him into the air.
The officer suffered injuries to his arm and hand. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and released.
City police fired shots at the man, who continued to flee, according to court documents.
State police joined the pursuit, which continued down Route 857 (Morgantown Road) in Georges Township.
Troopers tried twice to stop the vehicle by striking it, using a tactic called Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver. On the second strike, Deberry’s vehicle was disabled near Chess Road. The man continued to fight but was eventually taken into custody, state police said.
Police said he was combative with emergency personnel. A trooper accompanied the man on a medical helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, to protect medical personnel.
Deberry’s condition was not yet released. He is awaiting his preliminary arraignment.