A suspect in an armed robbery case in Arkansas was arrested after leading police on a chase that stretched several highways. After driving through a farm field, private property, and more, police were able to catch the suspect after deploying a K-9 unit.
The stolen property in the armed robbery was the black GMC Sierra pickup truck that they were driving, which was stolen near Crow Mountain in Pope County. It had been reported stolen earlier, which prompted police to search for it anyway.
When spotted, the suspect took the police on a wild chase that ended up on someone’s farm at one point. Eventually, the driver crashed into a ditch, which significantly slowed it down.
Unfortunately, when police issued commands for the driver at gunpoint, the driver continued her escape. At one point during the chase, the driver of the vehicle reached speeds of nearly 100 MPH.
Arkansas Driver Tries Evading Police
A state trooper on I-40 near the 104-mile marker was notified of the stolen vehicle during his patrol. Shortly afterwards, it was advised that an active pursuit was going on, with an encounter near Fish Lake Road.
The suspect turned onto US Highway 64 before heading south, where the chase intensified, reaching speeds of 100MPH. The GMC Sierra was even spotted driving on the wrong side of the road a few times throughout the chase.
A PIT maneuver was attempted, but failed because of the suspect’s speed. Eventually, the suspect drove onto a random private driveway in an attempt to evade police, but she lost control and crashed into a ditch.
Driver Refuses To Yield to Police
When the driver was stuck in the ditch, an officer pointed a gun at him and tried to issue commands to surrender. However, the driver decided to rev things up and keep on driving through the field.
Corporal Jake Price joined the chase and attempted even more PIT maneuvers to try to stop the GMC Sierra, especially considering the pedestrians within that area. Trooper Brandon Rogers officially ended things with a successful PIT maneuver that trapped the truck between two police vehicles.
At this point, the truck couldn’t be used anymore, though the suspect still refused to get out. This is when a K-9 unit was deployed, apprehending the suspect and leaving her with a bite on her left foot.
Insane Chase Comes to an End
The driver was later identified as 29-year-old Courtney Damon, where it was revealed that she already had a suspended driver’s license and an active felony warrant for probation revocation. To treat her injuries, Damon was taken to St. Vincent Hospital in Morriltown.
As a result of the chase, she faces charges including felony fleeing, driving on a suspended license, speeding more than 15 MPH over the limit, and reckless driving. Police also plan to seek restitution for damage caused to equipment.
If convicted, she could face up to 11 years in prison and $10,500 in fines. Considering her previous arrests, it is unclear if additional penalties will apply.
Fortunately, it appears that no one was hurt during the chase. As always, suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.