GREENVILLE — A Greenville man appeared in Darke County Common Pleas court this week on charges relating to an incident in which a police officer was seriously injured.
Carl Crumble, age 37, of Greenville, appeared on charges of failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony carrying penalties of up to three years in prison and a possible $10,000 fine. Crumble, who claimed he was about to start a new job when he was arrested early Saturday morning, asked to be released on his own recognizance.
“I haven’t ever been a flight risk, Your Honor,” Crumble told Judge Jonathan P. Hein. “I just don’t want to lose my job and everything being in here.”
“We intend to present additional charges to the grand jury,” prosecutor Jesse Green told the court in response to the defendant’s request. “A police officer was seriously harmed as a result of this incident, and Mr. Crumble has a significant criminal history.”
According to the officer’s report, Crumble’s arrest occurred around 2 a.m. February 3, after Crumble was observed speeding and running multiple stop signs near downtown Greenville. Crumble ultimately ran a red light at Broadway and Water Street, then lost control and struck a parked vehicle at a nearby residence. The officer witnessed Crumble running from the crashed vehicle and pursued, resulting in a struggle in which the two men fell to the ground. This allegedly resulted in serious injuries to the arresting officer’s arm.
Judge Hein imposed $20,000 bond on the defendant.
“The hard thing about setting bond is, people say they’re going to be rational and do what they’re expected to do, but then two days before that they’re driving like crazy maniacs and putting people at risk,” Hein said. “And I don’t know which personality I’m dealing with: what you say right now, or what you did a couple of days ago.”
The arresting officer in Crumble’s case is currently on medical leave pending determination of the full extent of his injuries, according to Det. Eric Roberts of the Greenville Police Department.
“I’m just glad, in reviewing everything, that no one else got hurt,” Det. Roberts said. “Especially any bystanders.”
Crumble’s next court appearance is February 8.
