WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq:TASR), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices released the following News Alert:
According to news reports from West Virginia's The Journal-News, a Martinsburg man was taken into custody Saturday night after leading police on a high speed chase and nearly killing an officer. Deputy Jack Fleagle attempted to pull over a blue Chevrolet pickup truck belonging to Michael Anthony Parkinson, 21, around 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of Orchard Avenue and Apple Harvest Drive but Parkinson refused to stop and a chase ensued. Parkinson traveled to the intersection of Winchester Avenue and Apple Harvest Drive where Deputy T.E. Boyles had set up spike strips in an attempt to stop the vehicle but Parkinson swerved towards Boyles, forcing him to jump to avoid being hit.
Just west of Apple Harvest Drive, Parkinson lost control while trying to pass a truck on a double yellow line and crashed into a ditch. The suspect then got back into the crashed vehicle and drove to a McDonald's parking lot on Apple Harvest Drive where he jumped from his moving truck and took off on foot, leaving the pickup to crash into a parked 2007 Dodge Caliber.
Fleagle and Deputy P. Butcher pursed Parkinson on foot as he headed towards Bernice Avenue where Fleagle was able to subdue Parkinson with a TASER(r) device as he attempted to run in between a bush and a residential home. A small amount of marijuana was found on the suspect.
Parkinson remains at Eastern Regional Jail on several charges including attempted murder of a police officer.
This information was compiled through publicly available media reports and distributed by Dittus Communications, Inc. of Washington, D.C.
TASER International, Inc. and Dittus Communications, Inc. disclaim any responsibility for the accuracy of the media reports that are the sole responsibility of the attributed media source.
For more information on this life saving technology, please visit: www.TASER.com. Contact: Jennifer Burke, jennifer.burke@dittus.com.