Police Chase Ends in Crash

Last Update: 9/27 10:16 pm

A police chase spanning two counties ends with the arrest of a suspected illegal immigrant now accused of shooting at a Malvern police officer.

Police say the chase covered more than 15 miles from Pine Bluff Street in Malvern to Shady Grove Road in Garland County. Malvern Police Officer Kevin Yeagle was on duty Wednesday night just after nine when he heard a loud pop then he saw a truck peel out of its parking spot. So he put on his lights and siren. Little did he know he'd soon be going more than one-hundred miles an hour.

Malvern Police spent Thursday afternoon collecting evidence, testing this truck for gun shot residue after a rare high speed chase through downtown Malvern, ending in Garland County with the arrest of Humberto Fortanelli-Ramirez, 20, a suspected illegal immigrant. He faces attempted capital murder, fleeing police and criminal impersonation charges.

"I have a subject just called said he's en route to the P.D. The subject you are chasing just shot at his vehicle when it was in the city, " explained the dispatcher over the radio.

That call prompted police to continue the chase because officers now believed they were targets.

A witness says he saw the driver pull out something that looked like a broom handle, heard a shot, saw a flame, and smelled gun powder. "They didn't force the pursuit. They didn't get right up on the suspects rear bumper which would make him think, okay I need to go faster to get away. They maintained a good, reasonable distance, " says Malvern Police Sargent Bernie Mosley.

Thirty police and deputy cars were involved as the chase reached one-hundred miles per hour. After more than 15 miles, Garland County deputies used stop sticks to blow out the truck's front tires. It couldn't make it around the curve and it crashed right into a groups of trees.

The airbags went off, but the driver wouldn't get out of the truck, so officers broke the passenger's side window and pulled him out. Inside the truck, they found several beer cans, but police were more focused on making sure the suspect didn't have a gun.

So far, no weapon's been found and finding shell casings on the sides of the street might be tough. Police say they're pleased with how this turned out. "It did end well, thank God. It ended well for us, it ended well for the suspect, he wasn't harmed and it ended well for the citizens because the citizens will remain safe, " says Sgt. Mosley.

Fortanelli-Ramirez is being held in the Hot Spring County Jail on a quarter of a million dollars bond.

A Garland County deputy lost his footing when the chase ended and fell ten feet off of a ravine, cutting his head. That was the only injury Wednesday night.

http://www.cwarkansas.com/news/local/st ... 9bd7716c08

Illegals are getting more brazen by the day.