CLEARFIELD – A Curwensville man accused of leading police officers on a high speed chase and injuring officers on April 22 had a preliminary hearing on Wednesday. The pursuit came during a Clearfield County DUI Strike Force patrol.
Testimony during the hearing focused mainly on the incidents that are alleged to have occurred on Carbon Mine Road.
Travis Goodman of the Lawrence Township Police Department testified that he and his partner were in pursuit of Shad L. Bloom when they caught up to him on Carbon Mine Road. Goodman said he and his partner, Jonathan Walker of the Lawrence Township Police Department, exited their vehicles to apprehend Bloom. He said that Bloom began to back up and attempted to turn around. Goodman said that he attempted to get Bloom out of the vehicle, even going so far as breaking the driver’s side window of Bloom’s truck.
During this time Goodman was thrown to the ground when Bloom hit his breaks. He testified that his foot and ankle were ran over and that Bloom’s vehicle pinned him against his patrol unit. He jumped to get out of the predicament and Bloom continued on. Goodman said that he required medical attention and was off of work for 10 days after the incident.
“I was scared to death,” said Goodman of the incident. “I almost had my life ended that night.”
Walker testified that he saw Goodman get pinned between the two vehicles. He also said that he was feared for himself and Goodman.
James Stewart, Lawrence Township Police officer testified that he and his partner Charles Marshall were a little ways behind Bloom and Walker when Goodman got past them. Stewart said that Bloom was coming at them as if to hit them head-on. Stewart said he swerved to avoid Bloom.
“I was scared he was going to hit us head-on,” said Stewart.
James Ward of the Curwensville Borough Police Department testified that he and his partners, Officer Nathan Curry and K-9 Zeus came upon Stewart’s vehicle. Ward said he pulled up and placed the corner of his front bumper near the corner of Stewart’s rear bumper to block the road off. Ward said that Bloom went over an embankment to avoid the road block.
“When he was on the embankment i though he was going to roll over and squish us,” said Ward.
Sgt. John Licatovich of the DuBois City Police Department said that he saw Bloom coming at them after he got past the other officers. Licatovich said that he felt Bloom’s driving was dangerous and that he was not going to stop. He said that he felt Bloom was a danger to himself and others. When Bloom got close, Licatovich hit Bloom’s vehicle with his patrol car in a legal intervention.
“I was in fear of serious bodily injury when I did that,” said Licatovich. “But it needed to be done.”
Bloom was then taken into custody and has been held in Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail since then.
