September 15, 2009
Police ID driver killed in chase
Kanawha man had a long criminal record; Mother blames cops
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"Mr. Good believes he will do well upon his release provided he refrain from substance abuse and attend support group meetings for the same, and other counseling or therapy services," the motion reads.

Good was charged with second-offense domestic battery in 2003, but those charges were dismissed after the alleged victim twice failed to appear in court to testify.

Four years later, Good was charged with four felonies, including possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, for his alleged involvement in a meth lab in Alum Creek. According to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court, Good told a state trooper where the meth lab was, "and that it was his and he wished to claim all the blame for having the meth lab."

However, the Kanawha County prosecutor's office never followed through on the case against Good.

On June 23, Kanawha Circuit Judge Irene Berger dismissed the meth-related charges against Good because there had been a delay of more than a year in formally charging him, either by information or by grand jury indictment.

Kanawha County prosecutor Mark Plants noted that the case against Good was initiated before he was elected. He said he made prompt handling of indictments a major part of his campaign, and he has worked to reduce the two-year backlog since he took office in January.

"What happened in this case highlights a problem that I've been trying to address for the last eight months," he said. "That's the exact kind of problem that I'm trying to address."

'No death wish,' mom says

Good's mother, Patricia Harrison, said she first learned of what happened to her son after calling police Sunday morning. She said officers - it was unclear from which department - told her that her son had shot at officers and then been shot himself.

"I know my son didn't have a death wish," she said. "I'm going to find out what happened to my son. I'm going to make sure I know why my son was ambushed."

Harrison said her son had five daughters by four different women. She said family members were cleaning out his trailer because it had been vandalized.

"I know he might have been ramming those cars, but you can see they shot him through the windows," she said. "I know he was chasing them up there or whatever, but he was murdered."

One room of the trailer is painted pink for his children. Good had also built a porch and retiled the kitchen, among other improvements. Harrison said her son worked at the trailer court where he lived and could operate any kind of heavy machinery.

She did not deny his run-ins with the law.

"I tell you my son was killed in cold blood. Even if it was in a police chase, they opened fire because he pissed them off. He got away three times," she said.

Harrison said the first police chase started when Good saw his current girlfriend in a car with another man and he side-swiped them. She said she doesn't know why he didn't pull over and turn himself in.

"He never carried a gun. He was a little guy, probably 5-feet-4 or something. He never carried a gun. He didn't own any weapons."

Staff writer Rusty Marks contributed to this report.

Reach Gary Harki at gha...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5163.

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