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A preliminary hearing in Mercer County, West Virginia for Steven Dale Branscome was postponed Friday after one of his lawyer was taken to the hospital.
Branscome is facing three felony charges in Mercer County, which include malicious wounding of a police officer, wanton endangerment defined as recklessly acting in a way that may harm or kill others and burglary. Despite Friday’s delay, prosecutors are confident the case will go before a grand jury. The West Virginia charges against Branscome came about after it’s alleged that he shot Virginia State Trooper R.W. Hughes in the neck just across the Virginia/West Virginia line on March 28, 2008. It was also alleged that Branscome stole a vehicle in West Virginia, which was later recovered in the Indian Valley community of Floyd County. According to the Virginia State Police, Branscome faces a long list of charges In Virginia. They include breaking and entering, stealing firearms and vehicles in Wythe, Floyd, and Pulaski counties, along with making threats to kill someone he had a previous relationship with. Branscome also faces two more charges in North Carolina after police say he broke into a church and stole a church van. The U.S. Marshal’s Service finally apprehended Branscome, who eluded police for more than a week, after being tracked to a hotel in New Boston, Texas on April 6. Branscome is currently being held in the Southern Regional jail in West Virginia, on a $50,000 cash only bond.
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