AUGUSTA — A city man who forded the Kennebec River in an escape bid is facing numerous charges after leading police on a foot chase that caused one officer to slide into Bond Brook.

Eugene Charleston, 20, was arrested Sunday on charges of operating a vehicle without a license, violating conditions of release, escape, criminal mischief and marijuana possession. Charleston was held without bail overnight at the Kennebec County jail.

Charleston was arrested around 4 p.m. Sunday about 30 minutes after Augusta Police Officer Nikolas Hample stopped Charleston’s Chevy Impala in the parking area of Cumberland Farms on Mount Vernon Avenue. Hample wrote in an affidavit filed in Kennebec County Superior Court that he recognized Charleston and knew he did not have a driver’s license and was free on conditions of release.

Hample was in the process of arresting Charleston when he broke free.

“I took hold of his left arm, but then he shook free of my grasp and started to run,” Hample wrote.

Hample called for help as he chased Charleston down Bond Street between two houses and Bond Brook.

Advertisement

“I continued to pursue Charleston and in the pursuit lost my footing due to the dangerous geography, which caused me to slide into the tributary,” Hample wrote. He said an “electronic device,” police radio, cellphone and boots were damaged during the pursuit.

“Due to the damage to the police equipment, I was out of service for two hours,” Hample wrote.

Charleston swam across the Kennebec River where he was arrested.

Police searched Charleston’s car and found a baggie of marijuana in the back seat, Hample wrote.

Charleston was indicted in October in Kennebec County Superior Court on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and terrorizing after he and another man allegedly kept a 23-year-old man overnight inside a Chelsea home. Charleston and the other man allegedly beat the man with a gun and threatened to slash him with a knife.

The kidnapping, assault and terrorizing charges were dropped in January after prosecutors were unable to find the alleged victim, who originally told police he knew his alleged abductors from “doing drugs.” Charleston instead pleaded guilty to criminal restraint.

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @CraigCrosby4


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.