A charge against a man accused of attempted capital murder was reduced Monday to felony assault and battery of a police officer, according to the Bedford County commonwealth's attorney.

Brian Burnette of Bedford was arrested in May after an April 17 incident in which he is accused of struggling with a Bedford police officer who was trying to arrest him on prior charges of passing bad checks. After the two men grappled, police said Burnette jumped into his van and struck the officer with his vehicle as he fled. The officer's injuries were not life-threatening.

Investigators arrested Burnette without incident in a North Carolina motel about three weeks later.

Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Krantz said that Burnette waived a preliminary hearing Monday on the capital murder charge and on the five felony check-writing charges against him. Krantz said he reduced the murder charge because he believed there wasn't enough evidence to prove Burnette's intent.

"He clearly had the intent to assault the officer, but I do not believe he had the intent to kill the officer," Krantz said Wednesday.

"He or the officer could've been injured or killed, and thank goodness that didn't happen," Krantz said.

Burnette is being held without bond at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail. The assault and check-writing charges will be presented to a grand jury in September.

-- Neil Harvey