The man accused of leading police on a multi-county pursuit on Labor Day is facing a collection of charges for the high-speed chase and events leading up to it.
Dustin Joel Mills, 36, of Volga in Barbour County, was suspected of a home burglary in Fairmont on Sept. 2 which led to the initial pursuit by Fairmont police.
Criminal complaints filed in Marion County Magistrate Court claim Mills is suspected of entering a Fairmont residence and taking more than $1,000 worth of items. He is also accused of ordering around $78 in food at the McDonald’s on Speedway Avenue and attempting to pay with a stolen credit card.
Fairmont Police began pursuing Mills and were joined by West Virginia State Troopers and several police agencies in Monongalia County as the chase continued on U.S. 19 heading toward Westover.
Court documents state Mills drove at high rates of speed, crossed multiple lanes of traffic in the opposite lane and struck multiple law enforcement vehicles during the pursuit.
A Fairmont officer was temporarily trapped in his vehicle after Mills rammed his cruiser. The officer sustained minor injuries in the collision.
Mills continued to flee, eventually crashing the Jeep he was driving near 321 Dent’s Run Road after police used stop sticks to deflate the vehicle’s tires. He exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot but was quickly captured by police and placed under arrest.
After further investigation, police discovered the black Jeep Mills had been driving was stolen.
For crimes related to the pursuit, Mills is charged with fleeing with reckless indifference, malicious assault on a law enforcement officer, receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle and attempting to commit a crime.
He also faces charges for burglary, grand larceny, and access device fraud.
He is currently being held at North Central Regional Jail.
