Local law enforcement officers had plenty to do even before the Fourth of July holiday hit this week.

On Tuesday, a bank robbery had both Danville Police and Boyle County deputies on a manhunt for a suspect; later in the evening, a car drove into a ravine off of Hustonville Road; and Wednesday morning, a man fled a deputy during a vehicle stop, resulting in a collision with another vehicle.

“It’s been a busy week,” Asst. Police Chief Glenn Doan said on Wednesday. He said although hectic at times, things ran pretty smoothly due to the fact the police department and sheriff’s office back one another up so well.

“We really appreciated the assistance from the Boyle County Sheriff’s Office on the robbery,” Chief Tony Gray said.

Vehicle pursuit

Wednesday morning, around 10:30, Lt. Casey McCoy with the sheriff’s office made a traffic stop at Second Street and Randolph Hill. But before he could get to the driver’s door of the white Ford Escape, the driver took off.

The driver was later identified as Marcus Beasley, 26, of Mercer County.

“We had been observing him for a while, in what we believe to be a drug transaction, is what we thought at first,” McCoy said, but he stopped him for disregarding a stop sign. “When I got to the rear door of the vehicle, he sped off and turned onto Randolph Hill.”

McCoy ran back to his vehicle, turned on his sirens and lights and followed him out.

Beasley turned left onto Hustonville Road, and was driving in the turn lane and into oncoming traffic, McCoy said. The deputy pursued Beasley until the Baughman Lane intersection, he said.

Since he observed Beasley almost causing a collision and continuing to drive erratically, McCoy said he decided to cancel the pursuit.

“Due to the heavy traffic and his reckless actions, I canceled it due to the safety of everyone else around.”

McCoy said Beasley was driving in the median all the way Hustonville Road, and he lost sight of him for a second. When he came up on the vehicle, he saw Beasley had attempted to turn right onto Carrigan Drive.

“He lost control of his vehicle and hit another vehicle that was waiting to make a turn out of Carrigan,” McCoy said. Due to the impact, Beasley’s car went underneath the other vehicle, a Honda SUV.

McCoy said they could not release the woman’s name because she is considered the victim of a crime.

“The vehicle he hit laid up on its side, and he got out and took off running to Patrician Place, left his car running and in drive. Didn’t seem to care about the lady in the car or anything like that,” McCoy said.

McCoy said as Dep. Tanner Abbott arrived on the scene, witnesses gave a description of Beasley and told them what direction he ran in. “Abbott took off on foot, and I drove down into Patrician Place in the circle, and we corralled him. Abbott gave him commands to stop, which he ignored, so a Taser was deployed and he was taken into custody.”

“We’re really familiar with (Beasley), but we didn’t realize that was even him,” McCoy said, because the vehicle had been observed in the area where the suspicious activity was taking place.

The driver of the vehicle that was hit chose not to be transported via ambulance, McCoy said, but was taken to Ephraim McDowell Regional Hospital with minor injuries, and possibly some broken ribs.

Beasley had outstanding warrants against him, including second-degree escape for not reporting to drug rehabilitation, which is why he was out of jail.

Beasley was being held in the Boyle County Detention Center Wednesday afternoon; his bond was pending. He is charged with disregarding a stop sign; first-degree fleeing/evading police (motor vehicle); first-degree wanton endangerment; first-degree fleeing/evading police (on foot); leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid or assistance; disregarding traffic control light; operating on a suspended or revoked license; resisting arrest; second-degree assault; second-degree escape; and contempt of court by witness/juror officer.

He also faces charges stemming from Mercer County in 2018 for: contempt of court libel/slander resistance to order; first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine); first-degree fleeing/evading police (motor vehicle); first-degree wanton endangerment of a police officer; first-degree wanton endangerment; trafficking in a controlled substance (carfentanil or fentanyl derivatives);

Car in ravine

The night before the pursuit, authorities were called to the scene of a wreck near the intersection of Hustonville Road and the Danville bypass. A vehicle left the roadway and ended up in the ravine in front of the Farmers National Bank branch off of the bypass, next to the Five Star gas station. Asst. Chief Doan said the call came in at 8:13 p.m.

Doan said Darren Taul, 47, of Lancaster, was traveling on Hustonville Road toward Walmart, and began to feel lightheaded. He attempted to turn onto Garland Drive, the road connecting Hustonville with Denmark Drive, and ran through the guard rail, going over into the ravine.

Doan said Taul had just been treated at an urgent-care facility for a hand injury.

“He remembered attempting the right turn, then lost consciousness, hitting the guard rail.”

Taul was driving a 2016 Yukon, a large SUV. Doan said after the wreck, he was transported by someone in a personal vehicle, possibly to the hospital, but authorities aren’t sure.

Garland Drive, the connector road, was closed to through-traffic until 9:20 p.m.

Doan said it’s time-consuming to get a vehicle out of a ravine.

Aaron Sparks is the investigating officer.

Manhunt for robber

Earlier Tuesday, a masked man wearing a black hoodie and ski mask, blue jeans, dark sunglasses and yellow gloves walked into the Farmers National Bank branch on West Main Street, next to General Dollar.

After conducting interviews with employees and customers, Chief Gray said the man did not produce a weapon or a note. “He had a plastic bag, demanded money, and reached into the teller’s drawer, grabbing it.”

The incident happened just before 3 p.m., and the man fled on foot with an undetermined amount of money. A sheriff’s office K9 unit was able to track the path of the suspect, Gray said, based on the suspect’s approach and exit.

Officers also discovered items believed to be evidence along the track, which extended toward the Broadway Avenue area. Gray said he cannot release any information about the evidence at this time.

No one was injured in the robbery. Gray said there are no updates at this time — they are still looking for leads and need the public’s help. Anyone with any information about the bank robbery is asked to contact a supervisor at (859) 238-1220.