BY LISA STAYTON
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

WARFIELD — In a tense confrontation Friday, police arrested an Inez man at gunpoint after he allegedly attempted to run over an individual and a deputy sheriff in Warfield.

William H. Preece, 57, was arrested in the parking lot of the Zip Zone store in Warfield, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred Friday night when Special Deputy J.C. Kirk noticed Preece driving recklessly on Route 40 at about 11:15 p.m. Preece then drove off the road into the Zip Zone parking lot, where he aggressively pursued Scottie Thompson, attempting to ram Thompson’s parked vehicle while shouting threats, Chief Deputy Chris Kidd reported.

“Eventually, he aimed his vehicle at Mr. Thompson and nearly collided with Deputy Kirk’s patrol car,” Kidd said.

Deputy Kirk managed to intercept and detain Preece at gunpoint.

When additional deputies arrived to assist Kirk, “Mr. Preece was shouting he was going to kill Mr. Thompson,” said Kidd.

Deputy Justin Bellamy, who also responded to the incident, noted in his report that Preece vociferated additional insults and threats towards Thompson, including expletives.

Upon searching Preece’s vehicle, officers discovered 194.5 grams of marijuana, a marijuana grinder, a burned joint, and $1006 in cash.

Preece now faces multiple charges of reckless driving, first-degree wanton endangerment, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, trafficking in marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and third-degree terroristic threatening.

This marked Preece’s second detention at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center since April 6, when he was previously arrested for vandalizing the Brookshire Inn and a nearby vehicle with the word “LOVE” in black spray paint. During that incident, he told Kentucky State Police troopers that he acted “in the name of love.”