Friday, April 15, 2016
FAYETTE, Ala.
Chase A. McKinney, 19, of Youngstown was shot in the right shoulder when he and a 17-year-old female, a runaway from Youngstown, crashed into a roadblock while attempting to elude police in Alabama late Wednesday.
Cassidy Marie Francis, the driver of the car, was reported missing by her mother Tuesday morning, said Youngstown Police Chief Robin Lees.
Francis faces an attempted-murder charge for trying to hit police when she hit the roadblock as well as numerous traffic violations in Fayette city, said Walker County Sheriff James E. Underwood.
McKinney was treated at a local hospital. Francis was not injured. Both are in custody, Underwood said.
McKinney, who according to court records has a Rhoda Avenue address, has a warrant from Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for misuse of a credit card.
The incident leading to the chase that touched several jurisdictions in west central Alabama, a rural area about 45 miles northwest of Birmingham, began when the Carbon Hill Police Department received a call about a possible drunken driver heading toward the community about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday on state Route 118.
When Carbon Hill police attempted to stop the vehicle, it appeared the driver was going to stop but then sped away, Underwood said.
The car went into nearby Marion County, hit a ditch, got turned around and headed back toward Carbon Hill. Then, with the car’s lights off, Francis tried to ram a Fayette County cruiser, police said. The car then turned toward Fayette, where police had established a roadblock at a bridge. When the car crashed through the roadblock, police opened fire. The car hit the bridge twice before stopping, Underwood said.
The Fayette Police Department, which is handling charges against the Youngstown pair, was not available for comment Thursday night. It was not known when court appearances are scheduled.