ARCHIVE

MSHA mine inspector impersonates cop

FEDERAL officials have acknowledged reports that initially emerged late last week of a US Mine Sa...

Donna Schmidt

This article is 13 years old. Images might not display.

According to various reports from June 7, including that of the Associated Press, federal inspector Jason Tyler Skeens, 37, told police officers on June 3 at a vehicle accident scene that he was a federal officer.

Pikeville police officer Josh Lawson, who issued an arrest citation stemming from the incident, said Skeens repeated several times that he was a federal law enforcement officer.

Skeens is, in fact, an MSHA mine inspector, though it is unclear if he works for the district for which Pikeville has jurisdiction.

According to the AP, he has been charged with driving under the influence, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, impersonating an officer and other charges.

It is not known if he was detained.

The news service reported that no listing for Skeens could be found in records for the Pike County Detention Center.

ILN asked for more information from an MSHA spokesperson, including Skeens’ employment status and any planned punishment, but the agency declined to speak on the incident.

“Since this was a law enforcement matter, we are not commenting on it,” spokeswoman Amy Louviere said.

TOPICS:

Expert-led Insights reports built on robust data, rigorous analysis and expert commentary covering mining Exploration, Future Fleets, Automation and Digitalisation, and ESG.

Expert-led Insights reports built on robust data, rigorous analysis and expert commentary covering mining Exploration, Future Fleets, Automation and Digitalisation, and ESG.

editions

ESG Index 2025: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Index provides an in-depth evaluation of the ESG performance of 60+ of the world’s largest mining companies. It assesses companies across 10 weighted indicators within 6 essential ESG pillars.

editions

Automation and Digitalisation Insights 2025

Discover how mining companies and investors are adopting, deploying and evaluating new technologies.

editions

Mining IQ Exploration Insights 2025

Gain exclusive insights into the world of exploration in a comprehensive review of the top trending technologies, intercepts, discoveries and more.

editions

Future Fleets Insights 2025

Mining IQ Future Fleets Insights 2025 looks at how companies are using alternative energy sources to cut greenhouse gas emmissions