Suspect crashes stolen cop car
Found on 9/22/02

By Angel Ray Hall 
TRUMANN -- Two Arkansas State Police troopers assisted in
apprehending a fleeing 31-year-old transient near Truman following a
high-speed chase that began in West Memphis Wednesday morning 
after the handcuffed suspect fled in a stolen police car.

State police Cpl. Doug Thomas said local state troopers were notified
by Troop D in Forrest City that a West Memphis police car had been
stolen and officers from the West Memphis Police Department and the
Marion Police Department were pursuing the vehicle north on Interstate
55 toward Mississippi County.

Officers were notified the suspect was taking the U.S. 63 exit off  I-55
and driving northbound toward Poinsett County, he said.

"At that time Trooper Keat Cohn and myself set up spike strips at two
locations. He was at the north end of the (St. Francis River floodway)
bridge and I was approximately one-eighth mile north of him at U.S. 63
and Arkansas 14," Thomas explained.

The suspect came by Trooper Cohn and ran over his spikes," Thomas
said. "Then the suspect ran over my spikes and then the suspect
eventually wrecked into the ditch on Arkansas 463 just south of
Trumann."

Inspector Mike Allen of the West Memphis Police Department said the
suspect, Richard Stevens, was handcuffed and seated in the back of a
police car before he took the police car.

West Memphis officers had arrested Stevens after answering a domestic
call at the New Hampshire Inn on Ingram Boulevard.

Stevens took the car while officers were finishing up the police
report in front of the motel, Allen said.

"This individual was able to get his handcuffs in back to the front
and he crawled in a small area and got through up into the front
passenger side and was able to drive off in the car," Allen added.
"And he drove off and officers pursued him and called ahead to 
other officers for assistance."

Allen said he expected Stevens to be charged with felony theft of
property-auto, felony fleeing from a police officer, one count of
domestic battery and one count of resisting arrest.

Stevens will be arraigned in the West Memphis District Court
Friday at 10 a.m.


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