Hope Man taken into custody after high speed chase
On June 22nd at approximately 10:25pm, Arkansas State Trooper Seth Smedley initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle near the Nevada County line due to having a defective/improper exhaust/muffler.
According to the affidavit, the vehicle fled southbound, so Smedley advised Troop K Dispatch that he was in pursuit. Smedley reported that the driver had complete disregard for the safety of another person evidenced by the suspect driving left of center, speeding, and hard braking. Smedley then performed a tactical vehicle intervention on the driver side of the vehicle and a second TVI on the passenger side that caused the vehicle to veer off the roadway but the suspect was able to drive out of the ditch and continued southbound on State Highway 19 S.
It was reported that once the suspect turned onto Hempstead County Road 51, Smedley performed a ram/push to the rear of the suspect’s vehicle, causing the vehicle to lose control and exit the roadway left and reenter the roadway. As the suspect continued northbound on the county road, he lost control while negotiating a left curve and collided with trees and brush east of the roadway. Smedley took the suspect, who was identified as 25-year-old Ricky D Brown of Hope into custody and after running an ACIC check, it showed Brown to have a suspended driver’s license, felony conviction in September of 2021, and two warrants originating out of Hempstead and Montgomery Counties.
Smedley reported that he was assisted by the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prescott Police Department. During the inventory search of Brown’s vehicle Trooper Smedley confiscated a 45 caliber Haskell handgun, a glass smoking device, small plastic bags, and two digital scales. The suspect’s vehicle also showed unconfirmed insurance. Brown was transported to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and charged with Fleeing, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of firearms by certain persons, possession with purpose to deliver meth, driving on suspended license, no liability insurance, and improper muffler or exhaust.
