Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On January 10, 2020, Arkansas State Police Trooper Justin Williams and Trooper First Class James Taylor were dispatched to a report of a stolen blue 2010 Infiniti G37 being tracked by the West Chicago Police Department traveling westbound on I-40 near the 242 mile marker. The vehicle was reported as being driven by Ramon A. Avendano, a parolee who had possibly stolen five firearms. Turned out he hadn’t.
From the report of James Taylor, lightly edited for clarity and brevity: “I was stationary at the 216 mile marker westbound when I observed the vehicle pass with Trooper Williams and two St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department vehicles behind the suspect vehicle. As they passed the 216 mile marker, Trooper Williams activated his emergency lights and the vehicle did not stop. I activated my emergency lights and siren and became the secondary unit in the pursuit. While the subject was evading, he turned his headlights off and was passing on the shoulder on several occasions, reaching speeds of 151 mph. The Hazen Police Department advised that they would deploy spike strips at the 198 mile marker. Officer Dillion deployed the spike strips and advised that it was a successful deployment. We then continued to pursue the vehicle at a high rate of speed for an additional nine miles before the suspect vehicle impacted a civilian vehicle in the rear at the 187 mile marker and came to a stop in the north ditch of I-40.”
In the civilian vehicle were the driver and her six-month-old infant. Both were transported to the hospital for treatment.
“After impact, Avendano continued to evade apprehension by fleeing on foot into a nearby ditch, where he was apprehended by the Hazen PD K9 in a ditch just north of the scene. I heard other officers giving commands and went to assist. When I arrived at the other officer’s location, we placed the subject into custody without further incident. Mr. Avendano was transported to Baptist Health North Little Rock for injuries sustained in the collision and the subsequent dog bite.” Officer Clayton Dillion of the Hazen Police Department was also injured while attempting to apprehend Avendano. Officer Dillion was transported to Baptist Health North Little Rock for treatment and later released. Upon release from the hospital, Avendano was transported to the Prairie County Sheriff’s Department by Trooper Justin Williams.”
Avendano was charged with theft by receiving, greater than $5,000 but less than $25,000; felony fleeing, leaving the scene of an injury accident, and fleeing on foot. On March 16, 2020, Avendando entered a negotiated plea of guilty to the first three counts; the charge of fleeing on foot was dismissed. Avendano was sentenced to 60 months supervised probation and 66 days in jail, with credit for 66 days served. He was ordered to pay various fines, fees, and restitution, and his driver’s license was suspended for six months.
Arkansas has sentencing guidelines. The presumptive sentence for felony fleeing by vehicle or conveyance is dependent on one’s criminal history score. If the offender falls into the lowest two tiers (of six), the presumptive sentence does not include incarceration.
For unknown reasons, Trooper First Class Taylor’s incident report states that the uninvolved woman and her daughter were not “injury transported.” That is clearly incorrect.
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/r/realworldpolice
@realworldpolice
On January 10, 2020, Arkansas State Police Trooper Justin Williams and Trooper First Class James Taylor were dispatched to a report of a stolen blue 2010 Infiniti G37 being tracked by the West Chicago Police Department traveling westbound on I-40 near the 242 mile marker. The vehicle was reported as being driven by Ramon A. Avendano, a parolee who had possibly stolen five firearms. Turned out he hadn’t.
From the report of James Taylor, lightly edited for clarity and brevity: “I was stationary at the 216 mile marker westbound when I observed the vehicle pass with Trooper Williams and two St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department vehicles behind the suspect vehicle. As they passed the 216 mile marker, Trooper Williams activated his emergency lights and the vehicle did not stop. I activated my emergency lights and siren and became the secondary unit in the pursuit. While the subject was evading, he turned his headlights off and was passing on the shoulder on several occasions, reaching speeds of 151 mph. The Hazen Police Department advised that they would deploy spike strips at the 198 mile marker. Officer Dillion deployed the spike strips and advised that it was a successful deployment. We then continued to pursue the vehicle at a high rate of speed for an additional nine miles before the suspect vehicle impacted a civilian vehicle in the rear at the 187 mile marker and came to a stop in the north ditch of I-40.”
In the civilian vehicle were the driver and her six-month-old infant. Both were transported to the hospital for treatment.
“After impact, Avendano continued to evade apprehension by fleeing on foot into a nearby ditch, where he was apprehended by the Hazen PD K9 in a ditch just north of the scene. I heard other officers giving commands and went to assist. When I arrived at the other officer’s location, we placed the subject into custody without further incident. Mr. Avendano was transported to Baptist Health North Little Rock for injuries sustained in the collision and the subsequent dog bite.” Officer Clayton Dillion of the Hazen Police Department was also injured while attempting to apprehend Avendano. Officer Dillion was transported to Baptist Health North Little Rock for treatment and later released. Upon release from the hospital, Avendano was transported to the Prairie County Sheriff’s Department by Trooper Justin Williams.”
Avendano was charged with theft by receiving, greater than $5,000 but less than $25,000; felony fleeing, leaving the scene of an injury accident, and fleeing on foot. On March 16, 2020, Avendando entered a negotiated plea of guilty to the first three counts; the charge of fleeing on foot was dismissed. Avendano was sentenced to 60 months supervised probation and 66 days in jail, with credit for 66 days served. He was ordered to pay various fines, fees, and restitution, and his driver’s license was suspended for six months.
Arkansas has sentencing guidelines. The presumptive sentence for felony fleeing by vehicle or conveyance is dependent on one’s criminal history score. If the offender falls into the lowest two tiers (of six), the presumptive sentence does not include incarceration.
For unknown reasons, Trooper First Class Taylor’s incident report states that the uninvolved woman and her daughter were not “injury transported.” That is clearly incorrect.
~~~
/r/realworldpolice
@realworldpolice
