A Leitchfield man has been accused of assaulting an officer and delaying an emergency medical helicopter flight.
The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon at approximately 3:20 in the 800 block of Hwy 31-W Bypass in Bowling Green when police responded to a citizen being “pushed” by a shirtless man in the parking lot of a business, according to the arrest citation.
When officers arrived, they made contact with 45-year-old Jerry R. Stivers, who, according to the citation, was under the influence of alcohol, as Stivers refused to remove a hand from his pocket.
“Due to the potential that Stivers could be reaching for a weapon to harm me, I attempted to detain him in handcuffs,” the citation states.
Stivers refused to cooperate, and a fight ensued, with an officer suffering an injury during the altercation. The suspect, though, was eventually placed into cuffs.
An officer then located a Carhartt-style jacket that Stivers said was his.
“The officer advised there was a call pending (from) dispatch to officers regarding a suspicious incident at the Air Evac center regarding a male in a brown Carhartt-style jacket placing a wooden board inside the (medical) helicopter,” according to the citation.
Stivers, while being questioned, admitted to placing a piece of wood inside the helicopter. The copter was on Air Evac property at 210 East 3rd Avenue with signage that states “Restricted Area Do Not Enter.”
An Air Evac employee said they found the piece of wood inside the helicopter as employees were preparing a flight to provide emergency services to a patient in Logan County.
Air Evac employees watched surveillance video that showed Stivers jump over the fence to the helicopter’s landing zone and place the wood inside the copter.
“… because the piece of wood was in the helicopter, they were unable to take off for safety reasons,” the citation says. “The result was another helicopter, farther away, (being) sent to the call … prolonging the time it took for the patient to receive transport to the medical attention they required.”
Stivers was charged with third-degree assault of a police officer, first-degree wanton endangerment, resisting arrest, second-degree criminal trespassing, menacing, second-degree disorderly conduct, and alcohol intoxication in a public place.
He was lodged in the Warren County Regional Jail on a $15,000 cash bond.
In May 2021, K105 reported that Stivers threatened to “murder” two Leitchfield police officers and emergency room staff at Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center. He additionally spit on an officer and attempted to kick an ER nurse.
In that case, Stivers was charged with two counts of third-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree assault (ems, fire, rescue squad), third-degree terroristic threatening, and second-degree disorderly conduct.
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More recently, Stivers was arrested in October and charged with third-degree terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and public intoxication. In September, Stivers was charged with public intoxication (controlled substance) and second-degree disorderly conduct.
He additionally has multiple public intoxication arrests as well as arrests for burglary, fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest, and third-degree assault of a police officer among many other counts over the last 20 years, according to online arrest records.
Stivers has been arrested in Grayson, Breckinridge, Daviess, Fayette, Warren, Hart, and Jefferson counties.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
