West Virginia man Timothy Kennedy arraigned in fatal shooting of state trooper Cory Maynard
A West Virginia state police officer was fatally shot on Friday while responding to a complaint of a shooting at a home. Sgt. Cory Maynard and two troopers were fired at when they arrived at the scene. Maynard was hit and taken to a hospital in Logan, where he was later pronounced dead. The suspect, Timothy Kennedy, was arraigned on Saturday on a first-degree murder charge. Kennedy was arrested in a stolen vehicle at a law enforcement checkpoint and is being held without bond at the Southwestern Regional Jail. His motive for the shooting remains unknown and is under investigation.
Dozens of police officers searched for Kennedy for hours before he was found. Benjamin Adam Baldwin, who was also shot during the incident, is in serious but stable condition at a hospital in Charleston. Nearby residents were advised to stay indoors during the search for Kennedy, and a high school graduation ceremony was postponed. Maynard earned a state police award in 2015 after he administered first aid to a man who crashed his vehicle and stabbed himself in the neck.
This incident occurred in the same county where Sheriff Eugene Crum was shot to death in 2013. A suspect was later found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to a state mental health facility for life. Mingo and neighboring McDowell County were home to the legendary blood feud between the Hatfield family of West Virginia and the McCoy family of Kentucky. Mingo County was dubbed “Bloody Mingo” during the early 20th century coal mine wars. The “Matewan Massacre,” a gunbattle that took place in 1920 between miners and private security guards who were hired to evict the workers for joining a union, claimed ten lives.
FAQs:
What happened in the shooting incident in West Virginia?
Sgt. Cory Maynard and two troopers were fired at when they responded to a complaint of a shooting at a home. Maynard was hit and taken to a hospital in Logan, where he was later pronounced dead. The suspect, Timothy Kennedy, was arrested in a stolen vehicle at a law enforcement checkpoint and is being held without bond at the Southwestern Regional Jail.
Who is the suspect in the shooting of the West Virginia state police officer?
The suspect is Timothy Kennedy, 29, of the Mingo County community of Beech Creek, near Matewan.
What is the motive behind the shooting?
The motive remains unknown and is under investigation.
Are there any other victims in the shooting?
Benjamin Adam Baldwin was also shot during the incident and is in serious but stable condition at a hospital in Charleston.
What is the history of Mingo County?
Mingo County was dubbed “Bloody Mingo” during the early 20th century coal mine wars. The “Matewan Massacre,” a gunbattle that took place in 1920 between miners and private security guards who were hired to evict the workers for joining a union, claimed ten lives. The county was also the site of a legendary blood feud between the Hatfield family of West Virginia and the McCoy family of Kentucky. Sheriff Eugene Crum was shot to death in the county in 2013.
Timothy Kennedy of West Virginia faces arraignment for the shooting that fatally injured state trooper Cory Maynard.
Timothy Kennedy, a suspect in the fatal shooting of West Virginia State Police Sergeant Cory Maynard, has been arraigned on a first-degree murder charge. Kennedy appeared via video in Mingo County Magistrate Court and was remanded into custody without bond at the Southwestern Regional Jail. The 29-year-old from Beech Creek was arrested on Friday night in a stolen vehicle during a police checkpoint. Jail records do not show whether Kennedy has legal representation. Earlier on Friday, Maynard and two troopers had been fired upon when they responded to a shooting complaint. Maynard was shot and taken to hospital, where he later died. Baldwin, who had also been shot during the incident, remains in a serious but stable condition in a Charleston hospital. The state police are currently investigating the motive behind the attack which led nearby residents to be asked to stay indoors during the search for the suspect. A graduation ceremony on the same night was postponed. Mingo and neighboring McDowell counties are known for their violent histories, including the legendary blood feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families and the “Matewan Massacre” gun battle in 1920.