Eugene Crum Shooting: Suspect in W.Va. sheriff slaying charged with attempted murder in chase that followed

(CBS/AP) WILLIAMSON, W. Va. - West Virginia State Police have charged the man accused of killing Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum with attempted murder for allegedly pulling a gun on a deputy who chased and eventually shot him.

Photos: W. Va. sheriff fatally shot

State Police Sgt. Michael Baylous said charges for Crum's slaying will be filed separately by the Williamson Police Department.

The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Tennis Melvin Maynard.

Maynard's father, Melvin Maynard, says his son developed mental issues after he was exposed to chemicals on a job in Alabama and doesn't have a vendetta against police. The elder Maynard would not elaborate on what kind of mental health problems his son had, but says he believes his son would have shot the first person he saw.

Tennis Maynard was shot in Delbarton after crashing his car into a bridge during the chase with a deputy.

Authorities say he is being treated at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, but they have not commented on his condition.

Hospital spokesman Charles Shumaker refused to comment or confirm whether Maynard was a patient Thursday, citing federal privacy laws.

Complete coverage of Sheriff Eugene Crum on Crimesider