A Morgan County Sheriff’s deputy was shot on Saturday morning while responding to a break-in in the Spohrs Crossroads area east of Berkeley Springs. The deputy, Bradley Meacham, was treated and released from the hospital by noon, said Morgan County Sheriff Johnnie Walter.
Deputy Meacham, who is the most recent hire to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, responded to the burglary call around 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 26 along with Deputy M. Butts. Sheriff Walter told The Morgan Messenger that 911 was told an unwanted male was banging on the door of the residence on Anderson Court. When deputies arrived, the man had broken into the home and the occupants had fled out a back door.
Sheriff Walter said the man, identified as Melvin Gallion, had already shot two dogs at the residence in front of a child who lived there, and when officers arrived, Gallion turned his shotgun on deputies.
Deputy Meacham was shot four times with a 12-gauge shotgun, once above his eye and in his hand.
“He stayed and engaged the suspect after being shot,” said the sheriff.
Officers returned fire and shot Gallion, who was transported to Berkeley Medical Center for treatment.
Deputy Meacham was treated at War Memorial Hospital for his immediate wounds and released. Sheriff Walter said he will have to have surgery for the wounds on his hand.
A medical helicopter was called to respond to the scene but the helicopter was later cancelled.
The West Virginia State Police is investigating the incident and handling the processing of the crime scene at this time. Sheriff Walter said he has reviewed the bodycam footage of the exchange and said his officers did things “by the book.” Sheriff Walter said if officers had not arrived on the scene when they did to draw Gallion’s attention away from the residents of the home, the call could have ended very differently.
Sheriff Walter said Gallion is wanted on a warrant out of Allegany County, Maryland for strangulation and was involved in a case in Morgan County being investigated by Deputy Diehl of the Sheriff’s Department.
According to online Maryland case records, Gallion, aged 40, had been a resident of Flintstone, Md.
The investigation into this morning’s incident is ongoing.
