RIPLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A late-night patrol led to a chaotic arrest Thursday after a Ripley Police officer observed what appeared to be a suspicious interaction on a city bridge.
According to Officer Steven Fisher, the incident began around 11:19 p.m. on June 12 as he was patrolling West Main Street. Fisher reported seeing two individuals standing unusually close together on a dimly lit section of the bridge sidewalk—behavior he believed to be consistent with a possible drug deal.
As he approached to investigate, one of the individuals, a white male, left the scene. The second, described as an African American wearing red shorts and a black top, was seen walking into the nearby McDonald’s parking lot. Fisher attempted to make contact, but the individual immediately accused him of harassment and walked away.
The situation escalated as the individual ignored multiple commands to stop and entered Duke’s grocery store, where they engaged in a verbal dispute with store staff. Officer Fisher made several attempts to speak with the individual about the bridge encounter, but they continued to walk away. The individual was eventually arrested for obstruction after repeatedly refusing to comply with verbal commands.
While being handcuffed, the suspect—still refusing to identify themselves—began banging their head on the ground and pretending to be unconscious. Officers were forced to carry the individual, now referred to as Jane Doe (later identified as Jennifer Mackey), to the patrol vehicle.
Once at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Jennifer Mackey resisted fingerprinting, allegedly kicking and striking Sgt. Ben Hart during the process. As a result, additional charges were filed for:
-
Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (§61-2-10b(d))
-
Refusal to Fingerprint (§15-2-24(j))
-
Obstructing an Officer (§61-5-17(a))
During a search of the suspect’s belongings following the arrest, officers discovered 6.38 grams of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, prompting an additional charge for possession of a controlled substance (§60A-4-401(iv)).
Mackey was transported to South Central Regional Jail.Â
