By Matthew Young
For HDMedia
While the investigation remains ongoing into the death of John Curtis Lucas, the 45-year-old Elkview man who was dragged by an ambulance for nearly 2 miles and later died, family attorney Scott Summers said they now know what happened.
In a lengthy Facebook message posted to the Summers Law Office page Tuesday night, Summers wrote, “We have met with the [Kanawha County] Prosecuting Attorney, Debra Rusnak, and she has provided us with a great deal of information.”
Neither Summers, the Prosecutor’s Office nor the Lucas family have returned the Gazette-Mail’s requests for comment on this story.
‘A great deal of information’
In his Tuesday night Facebook message, Summers addressed community concerns regarding the incident, noting that Rusnak has been “working extremely hard on this case from day one.” Summers complimented the “diligence” of law enforcement, before adding, “It did not take our voices to get them working, they were working before they knew who we were.”
According to Summers, Rusnak permitted him and Lucas’ family to view the ambulance’s dash cam footage of the incident, as well as listen to the audio recording from inside the ambulance.
“Contrary to the outcry, the public is not entitled to have this recording while the investigation is ongoing,” Summers said. “Frankly, the prosecutor has absolutely no obligation to permit me, or the family, to see this recording at this stage.”
Summers further stated that “there is zero indication that there is any sort of conspiracy or cover up,” before adding “there is a valid procedural reason why there have been no arrests.”
The death of John Curtis Lucas
According to a statement from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office released on the day of the incident, at approximately 2 a.m. on April 16, John Lucas was struck by an ambulance near Tudor’s Biscuit World in Elkview. The ambulance — which is owned and operated by the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority and which was in service with a two-person crew that night — did not stop after hitting Lucas, although Metro 911 was contacted at the time of the incident. Despite the ambulance driver’s stated belief that Lucas had fallen off the vehicle, Lucas was reportedly dragged beneath the ambulance for approximately 2 miles and later found along U.S. 119 near a Kanawha County Schools bus garage.
Sgt. Jeremy Burns, with KCSO, confirmed that Lucas was still alive when he was found. However, Lucas later died from his injuries after being transported to a local hospital.
As additionally noted in the statement, “[Lucas] was reportedly prowling around the area and was believed to be holding a knife.” No knife was found either with Lucas, or in the area of the incident.
While the identities of the two occupants of the ambulance have not been released, Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority Executive Director Monica Mason confirmed on Wednesday that they have been placed on paid administrative leave. When previously asked on April 21, Mason noted “KCEAA will conduct an internal investigation after the Kanawha County Sheriff and Prosecutors Office have completed their investigation.”
WCHS-TV obtained footage of the incident, which can be viewed on their website: bit.ly/42016Br.
‘Initial accounts … differ’
As stated by Burns shortly after the incident, Lucas was “no stranger to law enforcement.” Burns referenced “both nonviolent and violent offenses in the past” involving Lucas. A Gazette-Mail search of online court records shows he was charged with at least 20 misdemeanor offenses in Kanawha County, dating back to 2004. Most were dismissed.
In his obituary, Lucas’ father, Rodney David Lucas, addressed some of his son’s behaviors, saying, “Everyone who knew John knew, that after his car wreck he suffered brain damage that altered his life. This affected his reasoning, his ability to think straight, to make good decisions.”
On April 21, at a news conference at which Kanawha County law enforcement officials addressed the matter, Rusnak noted “as the investigation is developing, it has become clear that the initial accounts of the incident do differ from the evidence reviewed thus far.” Rusnak further noted that no additional details of the case would be released until after the investigation is completed.
On Monday afternoon, approximately 20 protesters gathered in front of the Justice & Safety Complex, bearing homemade signs which demanded “Justice for John Lucas.” By Tuesday, as John Lucas’ family and Summers met with Rusnak, the number had grown to more than 30.
An event to remember John Lucas has also been planned for Saturday in Elkview.
Tragically and with ‘great violence’
The meeting between Summers, Rusnak, and the Lucas family, which took place Tuesday afternoon and reportedly lasted for nearly three hours, came after two weeks of community outcry, protests and speculation as to the details surrounding Lucas’ death.
In John Lucas’ obituary, his father described his death as ending tragically, and with “great violence,” before describing the incident in detail. Summers, in his posted statement, reiterated the need to “trust the process,” before ending with, “The family now knows exactly what happened. We may never know why it happened.”
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