LINDE

MARTINS FERRY – Ricky Linde will appear in Belmont County Northern Division Court Wednesday before Judge Chris Berhalter to answer for first-degree felony charges of aggravated arson and attempted aggravated murder following a house fire this past Saturday.

Bridgeport Police Chief John Bumba said Martins Ferry police were busy on another call and they asked his department for aid in responding to the fire. The incident occurred at a residence on Fayette Street. He said this was Linde’s mother’s residence, and he lived there also.

He said Patrolman Alexander Elerick responded.

“We were called to Martins Ferry to assist them on a structure fire with entrapment. Our officer arrived, made entry into the home, tried to go upstairs, was turned back from heavy smoke in the house. He walked out of the house to see if he could make entry with a ladder, was unsuccessful,” Bumba said.

He said Elerick then heard someone in the kitchen.

“He walked into the kitchen area, and here was Ricky Linde. At which point Ricky Linde came towards him as he was telling him to get out of the house, and in his hand he had a large knife and a hatchet,” Bumba said.

Bumba said Elerick drew his weapon on Linde and told him to drop the hatchet and knife.

“He refused, went outside, stood outside. It escalated. He was tasered twice with no effect. The suspect then continued to walk across the railroad tracks and entered Ohio 7,” Bumba said, adding Linde continued walking down the highway and ignored orders to drop the weapons.

“State Patrol the sheriff’s department and Bellaire PD arrived and he was tasered once again, which did not affect him again. He was tasered a fourth time by the highway patrol, which was successful to get him down on the ground,” Bumba said.

He said Linde’s mother was unharmed. Firefighters were able to get her out of the residence.

Elerick recalled the night.

“It was a constantly-evolving situation. You go to a house fire and expect the unexpected, but you’re never going to expect things to go the way it did,” he said. “Downstairs was pretty calm. There was still smoke downstairs, visibility was a little obscured by the smoke, but trying to get upstairs to his mother who was upstairs trapped in her room, which was adjacent to the room that was on fire, the smoke and heat was, I couldn’t get up there without having the proper gear on.”

Bumba said he suspects drug use could have played a role in the event.

Linde, 50, of 109 Fayette St., is currently being held at the Belmont County Jail awaiting arraignment.