Published: November 26, 2008 05:24 pm      

Grand jury to hear drug trafficking case

Five people charged with trafficking in prescription drugs and cocaine following a drug bust Nov. 13 that ended with a Kentucky State Police officer being struck twice by a van and a suspect being shot had their cases sent to the grand jury Wednesday in Madison District Court.

Judge Brandy Brown sent the cases of Mikeith Wilson, Shamika Flood, Lavaghen King, Franklin Flood and Tenika Pettigrew on to the grand jury after testimony from a pair of state police detectives.

Detective Brandon Curless testified he organized the undercover drug buy Nov. 13 at 186 Kilarney Drive where a cooperating witness purchased several OxyContin pills. State police obtained a warrant to search the apartment, where they later found a number of pills, as well as plastic bags containing a white powder believed to be cocaine, marijuana, more than $5,000 in cash and a pistol.

Before police searched the apartment, Wilson, King, Shamika Flood and a juvenile left in a green van, which police attempted to stop at a Shell gas station nearby.

During the stop, Wilson struck state police Detective Jasper White twice with the van, Detective Dwight Slone testified. White suffered a broken kneecap in the collision after he was launched over the hood of the van, landing on the ground next to the passenger side of the vehicle. White shot at the front tire of the van repeatedly in an attempt to disable the vehicle.

Slone said a second detective, Rodney Tudor of the Richmond Police Department, was attempting to stop the vehicle by yelling through an open door on the driver’s side of the vehicle when it struck White. Slone said Tudor then drew his gun and began firing at Wilson in an attempt to stop the vehicle.

“He started firing after Detective White disappeared from his vision,” Slone said.

Wilson was struck in the buttocks by one of the shots and was later treated and released from the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

The van was stopped almost a mile away and the occupants were arrested as they attempted to enter a locked building, Slone said.

While searching the apartment, Curless testified that officers found nearly $3,000 in cash in Pettigrew’s pocket, including $500 in marked bills used during the drug buy. An additional $2,000 was found in Franklin Flood’s possession, Curless said.

A white powder police believed to be cocaine was found under a mattress in a bedroom in the apartment, and officers found a pistol reportedly belonging to Shamika Flood and some marijuana in the other bedroom where Pettigrew and Franklin Flood were sitting, Curless said.

Wilson faces attempted murder, fleeing and evading police and wanton endangerment charges in addition to the trafficking charge. Franklin Flood also was charged with promoting contraband, tampering with physical evidence, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after marijuana was found in his possession during a search at the Madison County Detention Center.

Pettigrew faces additional charges of possession of marijuana and cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

King’s attorney, Adele Brown, asked Judge Brown to dismiss the charge against her client, citing the lack of specific evidence implicating King in the sale. The judge denied the motion, and additionally denied requests for bond modifications for both King and Shamika Flood.

Charges are expected to be brought against two men involved in the drug buy, Curless testified, but Judge Brown overruled requests from defense attorneys to have those men identified during the hearing.