Domestic disturbance call turns into a stolen police car chase

John Lovett, staff writer
The Sentinel-Record - Found on 3/9/02

What started out as a domestic disturbance call for Montgomery
County sheriff's deputies Friday evening resulted in a high-speed
chase of a stolen police car into Garland County.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Steve May and Chief Deputy
Tim Shaw responded to a call from Sarah Gorell, 20, of Alamo at
around 5:45 p.m. Friday, apparently for protection from her father,
David Gorell. Gorell and her father live in separate houses which
are located near one another, May said.

"It was a diffused situation." May said. "I was just there to help."

May was inside Sarah Gorell's residence while she gathered personal
items for a stay at a friend's house. While in the house, May 
recognized signs of marijuana use. Shaw said drug paraphernalia was
found.

Not long afterward, Sarah Gorell was out of the deputies' sight and
had taken May's police car.

"She didn't give us a reason why she did it," Shaw said. "It's a 
weird deal that happened."

The pursuit began around 6:15 p.m., with Shaw and May following
Gorell in Shaw's unit at speeds up to 80 mph, Shaw said. Gorell 
took them on a chase through Ragweed Valley, Crystal Springs and
proceeded to Garland County via U.S. 270 east, ending at the Pearcy
Grocery Store at 6:53 p.m.

The Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission,
Garland County sheriffs deputies and the Hot Springs Police were
alerted of the situation as soon as it occurred, Shaw said.
Visual contact with the stolen police car was kept at all times,
he said.

May said they kept a safe distance from Gorell in hopes of not scaring
her into a faster chase. There was no damage to the vehicle and there
were no weapons in the police car at the time of the thefts, May said.

"I don't know for sure, but I think she was freaking," Shaw said. "She
seemed kind of spaced out. She should've sought help a long time ago."

Shaw said Gorell has a prior drug-related arrest record. She was
also charged for "unauthorized use of a vehicle" in August.

May said Montgomery County Sheriff Barry Spivey issued a policy
requiring deputies to lock the doors and remove the keys when not in
their police car soon after Sept. 11. However, because of the nature
of the incident, May said he did not lock the doors.

"It was just a quick stop," May said. "But, it turned into something
else."

Gorell is being held at Polk County Jail in Mena on felony and
fleeing charges. Her bond has been set at $20,000.


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