Fugitive accused of attempted murder of police officer is arrested in Lexington

A fugitive wanted on charges in Garrard and Jessamine counties including attempted murder of a police officer and trafficking narcotics was arrested last week in Lexington.

David “Drummer Dave” Suarez, 38, was arrested Thursday during a traffic stop on Man o’ War Boulevard near Clearwater Way, police said. The arrest was the result of a collaboration between Lexington police and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

Heroin, methamphetamine, cash and a loaded gun were found in Suarez’s car at the time of the arrest, police said.

Suarez’s attempted murder of a police officer and trafficking narcotics charges out of Garrard County stemmed from a call two weeks ago about suspected drug activity in a car in the parking lot of a BP gas station, Garrard County Sheriff’s Deputy Keith Addison said.

Addison responded to the station near the intersection of U.S. 27 and Lexington Road and approached the car to knock on the window.

“The driver looked over at me, started the vehicle, threw it in reverse and backed into my vehicle,” Addison said.

Addison said he was out of his vehicle and uninjured, but had to quickly get out of the way to avoid being hit when the driver accelerated forward.

“I don’t know if his intention was to hit me,” Addison said. “But I think his intention was that he was absolutely not going to stop for anything.”

The driver and passenger took off in the car, which was later found at Integrity Metals, a little more than a mile south of the BP station, Addison said. The passenger was found hiding in a camper near the vehicle, but the driver had gotten a ride to Lexington with someone who had been at Integrity Metals.

The passenger, identified as Richard Humes, 33, was charged with second-degree hindering prosecution or apprehension, second-degree fleeing or evading police and trafficking of a controlled substance, according to the Lincoln County Regional Jail website.

Garrard County sheriff’s deputies were able to learn that the driver’s nickname was Drummer Dave and that he was known as an equine dentist, Addison said.

With that information, the Garrard County Sheriff’s Office was able to coordinate with Nicholasville police to identify the driver as Suarez, Addison said.

Suarez’s warrant out of Jessamine County was for a parole violation, Lexington police said.

He was also charged in Lexington with trafficking in heroin, possession of marijuana, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, Lexington police said. The charges were filed following a search of Suarez’s residence by Lexington police.

Suarez is now in the Fayette County Detention Center. He has a preliminary hearing in Fayette County District Court scheduled for April 4.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 10:33 PM with the headline "Fugitive accused of attempted murder of police officer is arrested in Lexington."