Woman charged with murder in death of Lynn Town Marshal Bradley Fisher

LYNN (WISH) A Winchester woman has been charged with murder in the death of a town marshal killed during a police chase through Randolph County. Maci Marquelle Atkinson, 34, was charged Sept. 8 in connection with the July 29 death of Lynn Town Marshal Bradley Fisher, according to online court records. Fisher, a 27-year member of the Lynn Police Department, was struck and killed while deploying stop sticks at U.S. 36 and U.S. 27 near Lynn. Lynn Town Marshal Brad Fisher. (Provided Photo/Town of Lynn) What happened According to a probable cause affidavit, the morning began around 6:30 a.m. when Atkinson's father reported his Chevrolet work van stolen from Ridgeville. Around 8:30 a.m., a Randolph County sheriff's deputy spotted the van near County Road 400 West and County Road 50 South. Atkinson initially pulled over but when the deputy got out and told her to step out of the van, she fled. The affidavit says Atkinson drove at speeds up to 90 mph, blew through stop signs, and at one point gave the deputy the middle finger. At around 8:37 a.m., Fisher radioed dispatch that he was going to deploy his stop sticks. He positioned his patrol truck along U.S. 36 and set them out as Atkinson approached. That's when she struck him, court document say. The van kept going, lost control, and eventually hit a dump truck, ending the chase. Fisher was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Randolph Hospital in Winchester, where he died from his injuries. After the crash, Atkinson kept resisting. When deputies told her to show her hands, she responded, 'Make me,' according to the affidavit. Deputies eventually used a taser on her. She also swung a sharp object at a deputy before being handcuffed. What she told investigators During interviews with police, Atkinson said she left the Fort Wayne facility because she 'wanted to get some sleep, and comfort' and planned to go back. She said she found her dad's keys in the van and took it. When the deputy tried to pull her over, she said she panicked. 'I was just driving, that's all I was doing, I really didn't have no destination,' she told investigators. Atkinson said she thought Fisher jumped in front of her van. When asked about consenting to medical records, she said she would fail and that records would show she was under the influence when she claimed she wasn't. She said heroin was her drug of choice but that she had done a hit of meth 'just to feel some relief.' A toxicology report came back positive for fentanyl, methadone, amphetamine, and meth. No alcohol was detected. At the end of her interview, Atkinson said: 'I'm just mad at myself that I took an innocent life, not intentionally, and I deserve to spend the rest of my life behind bars.' Criminal history Court records show Atkinson already faced multiple pending charges before July 29, including unlawful possession of a syringe, battery, possession of narcotics and marijuana, resisting law enforcement, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and operating a vehicle while in possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance. She pleaded guilty to false informing in 2020. The charges Atkinson faces eight counts: Murder Resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, causing death or catastrophic injury to a first responder Attempted aggravated battery creating a substantial risk of death Causing death while operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in the body Resisting law enforcement while using or displaying a weapon Criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon Auto theft Unlawful possession of a syringe Fisher was 50. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter. He spent 27 years with the police department. He was also a captain in the fire department, managed the town's streets, and coached the Randolph Southern baseball team to its only sectional championship in 2010. Previous coverage