A suspect from Memphis was identified and charged after he allegedly stole a Marion, Arkansas, police vehicle and took police on a chase that shut down Interstate 40 and ended with an officer injured Monday afternoon.
Joshua Earl Henry, 27, was charged with possession of a schedule I/II substance, possession of a sched. IV or sched. V controlled substance, fugitive from justice, fleeing, second-degree battery, escaping in the third degree, and theft of a vehicle ($25,000 or more).
Marion Police said the suspect, later identified as Henry, was handcuffed in front of his body and was questioned about drug charges, and while officers walked him to a police car to take him to the sheriff’s office, he broke free.
Police said he fought with police officers and jumped into a Marion Police car and drove away.
Marion officers, with assistance from Crittenden County and Arkansas State Police, located the vehicle, which was stopped by state police performing a “TVI” maneuver.
Officers said the chase lasted for 30 minutes.
Henry was placed in custody and booked into the Crittenden County Jail. The officer was struck by another vehicle at the scene during the arrest, Marion Police said.
Police said that the officer is stable at Regional One Hospital.
All eastbound and westbound traffic on I-40 in Crittenden County, just west of the bridge to Memphis, was closed as of 1:30 Monday afternoon. The interstate later reopened.
It’s unclear when Henry will appear in court or what his bond is.
In June 2024, Henry was arrested at the Memphis International Airport after police said he was caught with a large amount of marijuana in Jan. 2024.
Henry was charged with facing a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver.
According to an airport police officer, on January 9 2024, the Drug Enforcement Agency conducted narcotic interdiction searches of inbound flights.
Reports say Henry’s luggage was a bag commonly used for narcotics trafficking, which is why it was chosen for inspection. Henry’s bag was then alerted with narcotics by K-9 officers.
His bag was searched, and officers found four vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana that weighed 3.14 pounds.
