MURPHY
Man charged in assault
A local man is accused of assaulting a police officer who was investigating a reported abduction.
Dustin Alexander Miller, 31, is accused of fighting a police officer who pulled him over in the 200 block of Tennessee Street on Sunday night.
Officials say a citizen reported that a man, later identified as Miller, kidnapped a woman from a gas station on U.S. 64. West around 10 p.m. The citizen reportedly followed the suspect’s vehicle while communicating with a dispatcher until an officer located them.
Authorities say Miller pulled over his vehicle for the officer, but refused to identify himself or hand over his driving credentials. The officer then ordered Miller to exit the car, and a struggle ensued.
Officials say Miller intentionally kneed the officer during the scuffle before being taken to the ground. The officer suffered minor injuries to his knee.
Miller is charged with assault on a female, resisting public officer and assault resulting in injury to a law enforcement officer. He could face additional charges once the investigation is complete.
“Whether it was a domestic argument that appeared to be an abduction, I don't know as of yet,” Murphy Police Chief Justin Jacobs said.
MURPHY
Police calls in August
Below are the number of calls received or initiated by the Murphy Police Department from July 30 through Aug. 31:
Alarms: 24.
Accidents: 31.
Arrests: 27.
Business checks: 769.
Citations: 1.
Community policing: 7.
Driving while impaired: 7.
Extra patrols: 113.
Follow-up investigations: 47.
Homeless shelter check-ins: 9.
Investigations: 57.
Special assignments: 1.
Suspicious person: 53.
Various calls for service: 325.
Vehicle stops: 22.
Psychiatric/suicide: 2.
CHEROKEE
Man guilty of murder
A federal jury in Asheville convicted Shane McKinley Swimmer, 21, of Cherokee, of second-degree murder Thursday, according to William Stetzer, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on Nov. 10, 2018, Swimmer and his uncle, Charles Ray “Chino” West, were at his uncle’s residence on Rocky Knob Trail in Swain County, which is within the boundaries of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reservation. Trial evidence established that shortly before 7 p.m., Swimmer attacked his uncle with a baseball bat, striking the victim in the head at least nine times.
The victim died as a result of his injuries. Following the attack, Swimmer went to another family member’s house nearby and announced that the victim was dead before calling 911. Officers with the Cherokee Indian Police Department arrested Swimmer shortly thereafter.
Swimmer remains in federal custody. The second-degree murder charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A sentencing date for Swimmer has not been set.
From staff reports.