From The Middlesboro Police Department -
Monday night September 23, 2019 officers with the Middlesboro Police Department attempted to make a traffic stop on a blue 1999 Ford Ranger on Highway 25E in Middlesboro. The Ranger then fled south on 25E, then west on Cumberland Avenue. Officers pursued the vehicle west on Cumberland in an attempt to stop it.
Lt. Floyd Patterson was traveling west on Ky 441 to assist the other officers in the pursuit and once he passed the Dunlap Hollow area, he met an individual on a bicycle traveling in the same direction on the shoulder of the roadway.
A witness traveling behind the lieutenant states that the cyclist rode out into the roadway directly into the path of Patterson. The lieutenant then swerved his Explorer to avoid the individual losing control of the vehicle. The vehicle then struck a guy wire and utility pole on the opposite side of the roadway causing the vehicle to overturn. The cyclist then left the scene. Patterson was taken to Middlesboro ARH by Middlesboro Fire/EMS for treatment and released several hours later with minor injuries.
Officers were able to determine that the individual they were in pursuit of was identified at 29-year-old Shane Evans of Tazewell, Tennessee. At approximately 10:00am Tuesday September 24, 2019 while on patrol, Officer Chris Barnes saw Evans operating the same Ford Ranger on West Cumberland Avenue. Barnes was able to block Evans from fleeing at McDonald’s and arrested him without incident.
Evans was transported to and lodged in the Bell County Detention Center charged with DUI, possession of a controlled substance - 1st degree (Methamphetamine), possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, no registration, failure to register transfer of motor vehicle, no insurance, and for being a fugitive from justice out of Virginia. He is facing further charges from the actual pursuit. WRIL has discovered that Evans has had 2 other fugitive warrants from Virginia on record since 2017.
Chief Busic personally thanks the community, Middlesboro Fire and EMS, and Middlesboro ARH for the tremendous amount of support and assistance that was extended to the department and particularly to Lt. Patterson and his family.