PINEVILLE — A judge will consider whether the two juveniles charged with the murder of Sheriff Deputy Sean Pursifull can be prosecuted as adults at a court hearing scheduled for Feb. 11. The hearing was originally scheduled for Jan. 31, but the judge granted a continuance to the defense, according to Assistant Bell County Attorney Kelby Thomas.
Assistant Attorney General Ken Riggs said Kentucky law requires prosecutors to meet a lengthy set of criteria before the courts will charge juveniles as adults.
Bell County Attorney Neil Ward has said that the 17-year-old driver, David Poppiti, and his 16-year-old passenger, Eric J. Gerren, should be treated as adult defendants because of their age, the nature of the crime and because a gun was allegedly found in their car.
Bell County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Pursifull, 31, and his police dog, King, died when the teens’ car rammed into his parked cruiser during a high-speed chase early on Jan. 10, following a gas-station drive-off.
State troopers charged both teens with murder and assault of a service animal.
Linda West, the head public defender for Bell County, said she and her staff were representing Poppiti and Gerren. West confirmed the teens pleaded not guilty during their closed arraignment in district court, though she declined to comment further.
Brandy Calvert is the Senior Staff Writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact her via e-mail at bmurray@middlesborodailynews.com.
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