May 9—ASHLAND — An Ashland man is facing felony charges after busting a police officer in the eye with a belt wrapped around his fist Saturday afternoon, according to court records.

Ashland Police said 38-year-old Brian R. Helms used his belt like a set of brass knuckles by wrapping the belt around his fist with the buckle on his knuckles. He busted the officer in the right eye, causing heavy bleeding and chipping the officer's front tooth, records show.

Chief Todd Kelley said the officer "is well and recovering."

According to a court citation, officers responded to the area of Belmont Street and Simpson Road for a welfare check. They found Helms on the sidewalk, yelling and screaming about the CIA, the Israeli Defense Force and lasers shooting out of eyes, records show.

When officers approached Helms to arrest him, police said he yelled "no, don't touch me" and ran down Belmont over to Geiger Lane.

Police cornered him in a back yard with a TASER and told to give himself up, records show. But Helms refused and continued screaming at officers, records show.

One officer stepped forward to attempt to wrangle Helms, at which point police said he struck the officer in the face with his belt buckle-knuckle.

The officer, blinded by the blood in his eyes, deployed his TASER, records show. Another officer was able to get Helms into custody.

Helms has been charged with first-degree assault of a police officer, public intoxication, first-degree fleeing or evading police and resisting arrest. He is being held on a $50,000 bond.

At the time of his arrest, Helms was on bond in connection with a March 8 incident in which he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Cannonsburg Walmart.

In October 2021, Helms held his girlfriend hostage in his home for three days, physically restraining within a crawl space when Boyd Sheriff's and Kentucky State Police arrived, records show. Charged with felony unlawful imprisonment, Helms had his charged dropped by order of a district court judge following a competency evaluation.

In March 2020, right before the start of COVID, Helms had another run-in with APD after police were called due to him cutting up furniture, records show. He told officers he was an Israeli soldier and a CIA operative, before running away from police and hopping multiple fences.

In that case, Helms was ordered in September 2020 to serve two years of probation, with 365 days hanging over his head. Helms absconded from the drug court program the following month and ended up doing the whole bid.

(606) 326-2653 — henry@dailyindependent.com