May 03, 2023
An undercover drug investigation late Wednesday afternoon led to a dangerous situation for deputies trying to take the suspect into custody.
Graves Sheriff’s detectives had identified a Graves County man as a someone that was selling large quantities of crystal Methamphetamine in the area. The man identified had a lengthy felony criminal history in both state and US Federal Courts. An undercover Methamphetamine purchase was planned in a rural remote area of Shelton Road, located about 4 miles west of Mayfield.
At approximately 7:16PM the suspect arrived in the area to sell one pound of crystal Methamphetamine. Deputy Ben Doran, Chief Deputy Jeremy Prince, and Sheriff Jon Hayden in three separate police vehicles attempted to block the suspects vehicle in an attempt to block the suspects get away and diminish the chances of a vehicle pursuit. The suspect sped up almost striking the three officers and then managed by leaving the roadway get around the roadblock. The suspect fled in his vehicle driving at excessively high rates of speed on many back roads including Shelton, Alexander Loop, King Road, Carrico Sullivan Road, and then onto Ky Hwy 80 West towards the Fancy Farm area. The suspect was travelling at such excessive speeds, deputies lost sight several times of the suspect. From Fancy Farm, the suspect fled on Ky Hwy 339 to Ky Hwy 1748, through the St. Denis community and onto Ky Hwy 307 in the Beulah community. A KSP Trooper met the suspect on Ky Hwy 1748 and was able to provide locations of the suspect sporadically due to the suspects excessive speeds losing sight of the suspect vehicle. Both the Hickman and Carlisle County Sheriff’s arrived in these areas and joined in the search and the on and off pursuit of this suspect. Officers discontinued the pursuit at times due the excessive speeds the suspect was travelling.
Eventually in Carlisle County, near the Arlington community, Hickman County Sheriff Ben Natividad found the vehicle attempting to exit County Road 1129 onto Ky Hwy 80. The sheriff was able to block the roadway and took the suspect into custody along with the Carlisle County Sheriff and deputies, Graves deputies and troopers. The suspects vehicles engine also blew at this time.
The suspect 37 year old Justin Kyle McClain of Mayfield was taken into custody and transported back to the Graves County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Jon Hayden went back where the pursuit had begun on and located over one pound of crystal Methamphetamine in a road ditch on Shelton Road that the suspect had thrown from his vehicle immediately after the vehicle pursuit began.
Arrested: McClain, Justin Kyle age 37 of Mayfield, Ky
Charges: Trafficking in crystal Methamphetamine 2nd or Subsequent Offense
Wanton Endangerment 1st Degree of a Police Officer 3 Counts.
Fleeing or Evading 1st Degree
Speeding in excess of 100MPH
Reckless Driving
Tampering with Physical Evidence
Additional other charges in Graves County filed. The Kentucky State Police have filed charges against this suspect in both Hickman and Carlisle Counties related to the pursuit in those counties.
McClain has federal Methamphetamine trafficking convictions in federal court in 2018 after being charged with Meth trafficking by the DEA and is currently on supervised release by federal probation and parole. He also has felony trafficking Meth convictions in Graves County Circuit Court in 2013.
The Methamphetamine weighed approximately one pound. 456 grams to a pound. Methamphetamine typically is sold on the street to those that are addicted to the drug for $100 per gram.
McClain was transported and lodged at an out of county jail facility. This investigation is continuing.
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