BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Morgan County Sheriff Johnnie Walter said Deputy Bradley Mechem continues to recover after being shot while answering a call about a break-in Saturday morning.
Walter said Melvin Gallion, 40, had broken into his ex-wife’s residence in the Spohrs Crossroads area east of Berkeley Springs and was threatening to harm her and a young child when Mechem and Deputy M. Butts got there.
“He was already inside after kicking the door in. As they pulled up they observed the female inside and the child inside and they observed them escaping out of the back (of the house) and running into the woods,” Walter told WEPM’s Panhandle Live Monday.
Walter said he believes his deputies saved the lives of woman and her daughter.
“When they pulled up it distracted the suspect long enough that he went and looked out the front window. When he did that they went out the back window,” Walter said.
Mechem and Butts took cover behind a vehicle as Gallion was firing a shotgun. Walter said Gallion was moving from window to window and also shot out the front door. Mechem was struck four times.
“He suffered three shotgun pellets to his left hand and one above his eye,” Walter said. “He actually received a fifth that hit his knee but it didn’t ;penetrate.”
Gallion is charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of malicious wounding. He’s in the Eastern Regional Jail on $350,000 bail. He’s also being held on a capias warrant for a parole violation out of Berkeley County and there’s no bond on that charge.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Walter said.
Butts will be off a short period of time and Mechem will be out longer. Walter said Mechem has to have the pellets surgically removed from his hand. Mechem is scheduled to be Morgan County school resource officer this school year. He was hired early this month. He had been with the Ranson Police Department.