CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
Update 6/7/2023 @1 a.m.
MATEWAN, W.Va. — Responding to a call of shots fired tragically ended the life of a West Virginia State Police sergeant Friday.
Mingo County 911 received a call around 3:30 p.m. reporting a shooting on Beech Creek in Matewan. Two state troopers responded to the scene, with Sgt. Cory S. Maynard from the Williamson detachment in the lead by a couple of minutes. Witnesses said that while exiting his cruiser, Maynard was shot twice with a 30/30 rifle wielded by 29-year-old Timothy Kennedy of Matewan.
Kennedy had already shot and injured 39-year-old Benjamín Baldwin of Matewan and is said to have taken Maynard’s gun and fled.
Baldwin sought shelter at the home of Doris Artis nearby. Artis called 911 and did her best to provide medical assistance until EMS arrived to transport Baldwin to a hospital in Charleston, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
“I’ve known Ben and his family for years,” Artis said. “And the last thing I ever expected to happen that afternoon was to hear him pounding on my door, begging for help. I did what the 911 dispatcher directed me to do until help arrived. I’m beyond thankful to hear he’s in stable condition after emergency surgery.”
EMS initially requested a medical flight helicopter for Maynard but canceled it as it became apparent that time was critical. They rushed him by ambulance to the hospital in Logan, where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
News of Maynard’s death spread, and soon hundreds of police officers converged on Beech Creek to begin a massive manhunt for the fugitive.
Kennedy evaded capture until approximately 10:30 p.m. When attempting to leave the area in a stolen vehicle, he encountered the police mobile command post and surrendered.
When arrested, Kennedy is said to have had the trooper’s stolen revolver lying on the seat beside him.
Mingo County Sheriff Joe Smith told the Mountain Citizen that the command post was in the center of the Beech Creek community during the search. Officers were stationed in every direction leading away from the hub of activity to allow for a quick response as tips began pouring in.
The call that changed the course of the night came in shortly after 10 p.m. when Harriet Cisco and her husband called Mingo Dispatch and reported that Kennedy had knocked on their door and asked for a cold drink. Upon having his request denied and being told there was a massive search underway for him, Kennedy fled the scene in a red Buick he stole from the Cisco family. His escape was short-lived as he drove directly into the path of the officials at the command post, including state police, FBI, DEA and ATF.
Smith said the brotherhood of officers would have held steadfast no matter how long it would have taken to locate Kennedy.
“The world we live in today is very different from the way it was when I began a career in law enforcement over 20 years ago,” Smith remarked. “Back when I first became a deputy, it was a position that was revered and, more importantly, respected. The public looked up to officers and were quick to voice their support for them, but that has changed drastically through the years.
“We used to deal with marijuana as the drug of choice, and those who smoked pot didn’t try to kill us,” added Smith. “Then along came cocaine, prescription pain pills like hydrocodone and OxyContin. Doctor shopping became all the rage. Then that escalated to heroin, meth and fentanyl. Along with those changes came the decline in respect for officers fighting the never-ending battle of drug trafficking.”
Smith said the court system no longer holds many of these criminals accountable for their actions and releases them back into society “to continue down the path of destruction until we find ourselves in a situation of no return like this one.”
Maynard, 37, was a decorated officer who grew up in Pike County.
Following the announcement of his death, over 200 law enforcement cruisers from across the state and region joined the long procession from Logan to the West Virginia State Medical Examiner’s facility in South Charleston as they transported the body for autopsy. All along U.S. 119, mourners stood and saluted the fallen officer.
The memorial service for Sgt. Maynard is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday (June 7) in the Mingo Central High School gymnasium. Visitation begins at noon. Following the funeral, a procession will begin at the school and conclude at Evans Funeral Home in Chapmanville, where Maynard will be cremated.
Maynard leaves behind his parents, wife, son and daughter, two sisters and their children, and a host of family, friends and fellow officers.
Kennedy was arraigned on a charge of first-degree murder Saturday morning via video before Mingo Magistrate Jim Harvey. He is expected to appear in court for his preliminary hearing within the next 10 days and face additional charges. He is being held without bail in the Southwestern Regional Jail in Holden.
Back in 2020, Kennedy, then 26, was reported missing. He was later found 400 feet into a closed coal mine in the Gilbert area. Rescuers found evidence of copper wire removal during their search. At the time Kennedy was charged with trespassing.
Update 6/2/2023 @ 10:50 p.m.
MINGO COUNTY, W.VA. — The man accused of fatally shooting West Virginia State Police Sergeant Cory Maynard turned himself in to a mobile state police command center on Beech Creek in Mingo County about 10:45 p.m. Friday.
Timothy Kennedy, 29, of Beech Creek, is said to have shot Ben Baldwin before getting into a shoot-out with law enforcement and hitting Maynard with the fatal shot “ambush-style” Friday afternoon on Beech Fork.
According to reports, Kennedy took the trooper’s gun and magazine and fled into the woods.
A massive manhunt ensued and involved over 100 officers.
Officials asked everyone in the area to stay inside their homes. Officials asked the Mingo County Board of Education to secure Mingo Central High School and the grounds. Graduation was postponed and will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Mingo County 911 received a call Friday night reporting that Kennedy had stopped at a residence asking for something cold to drink and left in a red Buick. He turned himself in shortly after.
Maynard was transported to Logan General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Fellow officers accompanied Maynard’s body to the medical examiner in Charleston.
Maynard leaves behind his wife, two children, and parents.
Update 6/2/2023 @ 6:40 p.m.
MINGO COUNTY, W.VA. — Police have identified Timothy Kennedy, 29, of Beech Creek, as the suspect in the shooting of a West Virginia State Police trooper Friday afternoon.
Kennedy remains on the run.
The trooper was taken to Logan General Hospital for treatment.
According to news reports, another person was shot in the Beech Creek area of Matewan.
Original story 6/2/2023 @ 6 p.m.
MINGO COUNTY, W.Va. — A search is underway for an armed suspect in the Beech Creek Road area of Mingo County, where a West Virginia State Police trooper was shot Friday afternoon.
Police say the suspect is armed and on the run.
A state police helicopter and law enforcement from several counties have been called in.
Officials are asking everyone in the area to stay inside their homes.
Officials asked the Mingo County Board of Education to secure Mingo Central High School and the grounds. Graduation exercises are postponed. Students and guests are directed not to travel to the campus until law enforcement has issued an all-clear. An announcement will be made regarding the all-clear and the updated plans for graduation.