Trending
CALCUTTA -- The sister of a Newell, W.Va. man missing since Nov. 22 pleaded with St. Clair Township trustees about her concerns regarding the lack of a search for her brother.
William Hart, who was 34 at the time, was arrested by St. Clair Township police following a traffic stop on state Route 7. Police Chief Brian McKenzie said Hart acknowledged he had a warrant and police were about to take him into custody on it, placing him into a police cruiser. But then the officers became concerned after seeing him fidgeting in his seat, leading them to find what appeared to be an empty baggie with drug residue near him in the vehicle. Police became really concerned when it became evident he may have swallowed two pills in an attempt to hide them from police.
Instead of taking Hart to the county jail, St. Clair Township police called Northstar Ambulance and he was transported to East Liverpool City Hospital to make certain if he had ingested something he would not overdose.
According to McKenzie, police told Hart if he left the hospital he would be charged with a felony escape charge and placed a hold order on him with the hospital so they could pick him back up when the hospital was ready to release him. However, about 10 minutes later the hospital reportedly called dispatchers to report he had fled from the hospital.
Hart's sister Melisa Michael said she has learned East Liverpool and St. Clair Township police chased her brother toward the Ohio River, but lost him. She told trustees Monday that police only searched for her brother for 39 minutes and she is upset about what she saw on body camera video she has obtained from the police department. Michael claims police officers were unprofessionally joking about what happened.
"No boats were called out, no K-9's," Michael said, "39 minutes, that's what they looked for him and then they stopped."
She said they know he did something wrong, but she feels law enforcement did not care enough to look for him then and are not looking for him now.
"I'm upset they left him at the hospital," Hart said after the meeting. "It's like he wasn't worth their time. I'm mostly upset with the way they treated him."
Since that time, she said family and friends have searched that area between the river bank and the hospital without finding any signs of Hart.
"He hasn't contacted family or any friends," Michael said following the meeting. "Nobody has heard from him."
McKenzie said St. Clair Township officers had just returned to the township jurisdiction from the city when they were notified he had fled. They went to an area near the Jackson Street exit and believed East Liverpool Police were chasing him in their direction down the railroad tracks.
An East Liverpool police report from that night said officers saw Hart run across state Route 39, jump a fence going toward the river bank. The report indicates three agencies searched the river bank, but could not find him.
According to McKenzie, St. Clair Detective Sgt. Scott Mick and Hancock County Detective Sgt. Scott Little have been in contact with each other, discussing any leads to where Hart may be since that time.
Up until he fled the hospital, McKenzie said Hart did not give officers any issues and never indicated he was planning to flee. He only got upset when they were questioning him about what he swallowed when police caught sight of two white objects in his mouth that then disappeared.
"You never think someone would be missing as a result of this," McKenzie said. "We want William to be found and safe."
djohnson@mojonews.com