August 9, 2019

www.wsaz.com

Police in West Virginia say a man who tried to steal a police cruiser while handcuffed has been charged.

Criminal complaints filed in Charleston say Blake King, 29, is facing two misdemeanors and a felony after the incident Thursday.

The filings say an officer first arrested King and put him in the back of a squad car for giving a fake name after he was stopped for harassing people in an emergency room.

King then jumped into the driver’s seat and tried to press the accelerator while twisting his arms around to grab the steering wheel, according to investigators.

The complaint says the officers pulled King from the car, with one officer punching him in the face twice after King tried to kick him.

It’s unclear if King has a lawyer. He is currently in the South Central Regional Jail on a $35,000 (10 percent cash) bail.