A report from the Prestonsburg City Police Department Facebook page:

On the morning of Friday, July 10, 2020, Prestonsburg 911 Center received an attempt to locate complaint on a 2005 Jeep SUV. The original complaint was that the female in operation of the vehicle had unlawfully taken it. While on patrol, Patrolman Zach Neice observed a vehicle matching the description of that complaint. Neice noticed that the registration on the vehicle was invalid and belonged to another vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop on it. Upon attempting a traffic stop, the vehicle fled south on US23. Patrolman Neice was joined in the pursuit by Patrolman Darrell Preston, Major Mike Conn, and Chief Larry Woods.

The Jeep continued south bound through Floyd County where Floyd County Deputy Sheriffs and Kentucky State Troopers assisted with the chase. In the area of Green Meadows in Pikeville, the vehicle made a U-turn and returned to Floyd County where it made another U-turn and returned toward Pike County. During this, the vehicle nearly struck several police cruisers. The vehicle continued south on US23 in to Pikeville where it made a left turn at US119 at the “Buckley’s Creek” intersection and traveled north toward Belfry. The vehicle continued into Pond Creek at speeds reaching and exceeding 100 miles per hour. As the vehicle continued through Belfry and South Williamson, it crossed into Mingo County, West Virginia where the West Virginia State Police, Mingo County Sheriff’s Office and Williamson Police Department took lead in the pursuit. The vehicle continued north into Logan County, West Virginia where Logan County Sheriff’s Deputies, West Virginia State Police Troopers and Kentucky Officers were able to stop the vehicle and place the operator under arrest. This pursuit of a dangerous convicted felon spanned nearly eighty miles and three hours.

Heather L. Ratliff of Cowpen Road of Pikeville was arrested by West Virginia officers and lodged in the Southwestern Regional Jail on several felony charges including being a convicted felon in possession of a hand gun, DUI, fleeing and evading police, and possession of methamphetamine.

The Prestonsburg Police have petitioned for a warrant from the courts for the below listed charges and have confirmed extradition with Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney A. Brent Turner’s Office. Once the state of West Virginia finds their charges settled, Ratliff will be returned to the Commonwealth to answer these charges, as well as outstanding unrelated felony warrants for her arrest.

Ratliff’s Kentucky charges, in addition to her previous outstanding felony warrants, will be:

POSSESION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN THE 1ST DEG, 1ST OFF (METHAMPHETAMINE)

SPEEDING 26 MPH OR MORE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT

RECKLESS DRIVING

FLEEING OR EVADING POLICE IN THE 1ST DEGREE (MOTOR VEHICLE), WANTON ENDANGERMENT IN THE 1ST DEGREE-POLICE OFFICER, POSSESSION OF HANDGUN BY CONVICTED FELON

PERSISTENT FELONY OFFENDER II

OPERATING ON SUSPENDED OR REVOKED OPERATORS LICENSE