ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602270040
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: ABINGDON
SOURCE: Associated Press
A former police officer in Kentucky and Virginia faces charges for allegedly handcuffing and pistol-whipping his girlfriend and threatening to inject her with blood containing the AIDS virus.
William ``B.J.'' Stephens, 43, of Abingdon is also charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell.
When police searched Stephens' trailer for the weapon used in the Feb. 16 attack, they found hundreds of syringes, vials of painkillers, numerous other prescription drugs and weapons including a fully automatic submachine gun, said investigator Mary Dell Canter of the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
``There's good and bad in all of us - sometimes the bad comes out,'' Canter said.
Stephens is a registered nurse at Holston Valley Medical Center and part-time employee at Southwest Virginia Mental Health Institute. He formerly was a patrolman with the Wise Police Department, Washington County Commonwealth's Attorney Dennis Godfrey said.
In Kentucky, Stephens had worked as a state trooper, Letcher County sheriff's deputy and Whitesburg police officer.
Washington County Sheriff Kenneth Hayter said Stephens was arrested Feb. 17 after being treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to the foot. Stephens accidentally shot himself while threatening to shoot his girlfriend, Kathryn Thomas of Meadowview, Hayter said.
LENGTH: Short : 36 linesby CNB