Moffett Police Chief Charles Miller said Monday that the pursuit began at 2:49 p.m. Sunday on U.S. Highway 64 in Moffett after Lt. Lawrence Ruiz attempted to conduct a routine traffic stop. Miller said the suspect vehicle, a four-wheel drive truck, fled from police and headed into Fort Smith.
During the pursuit, the suspect went across yards, drove the wrong way on one-way streets, and endangered the lives of many people, Miller said. The pursuit ended at 6th and I Streets in Fort Smith when the suspect's vehicle struck a stop sign.
The man fled on foot, and attempted to grab a small child, who was playing in a nearby yard where the man crashed his vehicle. The man was reaching for the child and tried to pull the child away from the mother, but the mother pulled back, Miller said.
"We're not sure why he tried to grab the child," Miller said. He said that Ruiz speculated the man planned to use the child as a hostage.
Fort Smith Police was called to assist, and the suspect was apprehended at about 3:40 p.m.
The male suspect of Spiro, identified as Herbert Chambers, and a passenger in his vehicle, a Fort Smith woman, were arrested and taken to the Sebastian County Detention Center in Fort Smith.
Miller said the man had a felony warrant for his arrest in LeFlore County. Charges are pending in Sequoyah County.
