Cpl. Brian Young of the West Virginia State Police appeared in the Calhoun Magistrate Court to file a complaint against 49 year old Mary Pearl Hardman of Grantsville.
The complaint stated that on Thursday, January 1, 2026 at approximately 11:30 a.m. Cpl. Young was dispatched to a Millstone residence by Calhoun 911. Dispatch said that an older lady had called and stated that her daughter had taken her keys to vehicle and then she hung up.
When Cpl. Young arrived he met with Dorothy Hardman who stated that she had walked down the road and retrieved the keys and the vehicle from her daughter. While driving back to the main road, Cpl. Young passed the accused, Mary Hardman, walking on Sycamore road toward WV Route 16 with approximately six small dogs alongside her.
The officer stopped at the intersection of South Calhoun Highway and Sycamore road and parked. Approximately 20 minutes later, Mary Pearl Hardman started walking towards the main road with all of her dogs. Cpl. Young activated his blue lights and advised Ms. Hardman that she was not going to walk down the main road with all the animals wandering around without leashes and the condition of the roadway and the roadway shoulders being treacherous.
Mary Pearl Hardman began yelling and cursing Cpl. Young and he once again advise her if she went on to the main road of South Calhoun Highway she would be arrested due to causing a danger on the highway to herself and drivers. The officer ordered her to return home and returned to his cruiser.
Mary Pearl Hardman yelled in the direction of the officer, saying, “the police were going to blow up Calhoun County” and then she ran into the roadway in a blind curve with all her animals running around. Her and began running north on South Calhoun Highway.
Cpl. Young then pulled into the roadway with his lights on to block traffic and placed Mary Pearl Hardman under arrest. She physically resisted the officers attempts to place her in hand restraints and placing her in the cruiser. After she was removed from the roadway, her mother arrived and advised that she had been drinking all night.
Cpl. Young transported Mary Pearl Hardman to the WV State Police office for processing. She was then charged with Disorderly conduct, Battery on an Officer, Obstruction and public intoxication. She is currently being held in the WV Central Regional on a $1,500 bond awaiting a status hearing on March 24th, 2026 at 10 a.m.
