Alum Creek, West Virginia – A man was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly fleeing into wooded terrain with a knife, prompting a three-mile K-9 track in Kanawha County.
According to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, deputies attempted to serve paperwork on Joshua David Saul around 7:30 a.m. at a residence on Rabel Mountain Road in Alum Creek.
During the attempt, Saul allegedly brandished a knife and fled into a nearby wooded area, authorities said.
Lieutenant Ratliff and K-9 Bailee responded alongside members of the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division and Field Operations B Shift. Officers from the South Charleston Police Department and troopers with West Virginia State Police assisted. A perimeter was established to contain Saul while a K-9 track was conducted.
K-9 Bailee reportedly tracked Saul through approximately three miles of wooded terrain. Once located and surrounded by law enforcement, Saul allegedly refused commands and began walking toward officers while holding the knife.
Deputies deployed a non-lethal bean bag shotgun round, successfully disarming Saul and taking him into custody without further incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
Saul was charged under West Virginia Criminal Code §61-5-27(b)(1), including intimidating a public officer by threats or harassment and obstructing an officer in the performance of official duties. He is expected to be arraigned before a Kanawha County magistrate at a later time.
The incident may be of interest to commuters and residents in the Alum Creek area due to the morning law enforcement activity.
Anyone arrested is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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