Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie Nathan Mark Lewis, right, entered a guilty plea Monday in Randolph County Circuit Court. To his left is his lawyer, Steve Nanners.

ELKINS — A Barbour County man whose traffic stop last year led to a foot chase and a police officer was allegedly kicked and headbutted Monday in Randolph County Circuit Court.

Nathan Mark Lewis, 40, of Belington, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while revoked for DUI third offense, which is a felony, and a charge of battery on an officer.

Lewis was initially charged with possession with intent to deliver, obstructing and attempting to disarm an officer and driving while revoked for DUI third offense.

With a third DUI offense, Lewis could be sentenced to one to three years in prison and face a mandatory fine of $3,000 to $5,000. Following an officer’s charge, Lewis could be sentenced to 30 days to a year and fined up to $500. The sentences could be served consecutively.

Lewis is currently being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond.

The case was prosecuted by Randolph County Assistant District Attorney Richard Shryock. Lewis was represented by attorney Steve Nanners.

Circuit Judge David Wilmoth presided Monday. At one point during the hearing, Wilmoth asked Lewis if he tried to take an officer’s gun during the 2023 altercation.

“No, I didn’t try to take the gun.” Lewis told the court. “I knocked him over.”

Lewis will be sentenced on December 16 at 1:30 p.m

According to the original criminal complaint, on December 7, 2023, at approximately 9:53 p.m., Patrolman JH White of the Elkins Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a Saab on Goff Street for a license plate light out and of an expired registration.

The driver, Lewis, was “visibly shaking” while talking to the officer and said he had lost his license, the complaint states. He also allegedly identified himself using several false names and a false date of birth.

White detained Lewis and began searching the vehicle, finding baggies containing what appeared to be fentanyl and methamphetamine and a digital scale, the complaint states.

At this point, Lewis fled the traffic stop, “through several courtyards, eventually ending up in a courtyard behind the car park”, according to the complaint.

White caught Lewis, who then “He began to struggle with the officer while he was handcuffed,” specified in the complaint. Lewis “He then punched and headbutted the officer multiple times.”

“During the altercation, the subject grabbed the officer’s firearm and managed to remove the hood from the holster in an attempt to withdraw the duty officer’s firearm from the officer’s holster,” specified in the complaint.

He was white “able to achieve compliance” and take Lewis back to the traffic stop, according to the complaint.