A man was charged for possessing a gun after he allegedly fled from police Monday evening.
Timothy Lee Leftenant, 36, of Charleston, was charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Police responded to Smiley's Motel on Monday evening because management had reported a woman in a second story room was trespassing, according to a news release from Kanawha County Sheriff's Office. Leftenant allegedly opened the door to speak to police, then ran away while removing a black handgun from the front of his pants.
He allegedly ran downstairs, across the parking lot, across U.S. 60 and into a wooded area near the railroad tracks, where he threw the handgun. Deputies said they were almost struck by cars while chasing him.
Leftenant stumbled to the ground as police neared him, but allegedly would not put his hands behind his back. After he got up to run, police used a taser, then handcuffed him.
Leftenant was on federal probation for a conviction in Ohio on weapons and drug offenses in 2009. He was also convicted of domestic violence in Kanawha County in 2008.