HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A man was arrested on Sunday after he was seen wielding an axe near a fire he was suspected of starting.
On July 6, the Hopkinsville Fire Department initially responded to a fire in a shed structure at the 600 block of Moores Drive, according to Payton Rogers with HFD. The police department was then called to the scene, and officers were informed that a man had allegedly set fire to a structure and was armed with an ax.
According to an arrest report, HPD approached 50-year-old Rickey Wimberly, who was swinging an axe and pacing around near the fire. Officers attempted to deescalate, and the suspect threw the ax into the fire. He then fled on foot and approached a family member that was standing nearby.
After a brief struggle, he was placed under arrest and was evaluated at Jennie Stuart Medical Center before being transported to Christian County Jail. When the scene was clear, HFD continued operations to extinguish the fire.
He is being charged with fleeing or evading police, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.