Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Apparently, the trooper was surprised to have not also ended Ms. Putt...
From the report of Corporal Michael Bowman, lightly edited for clarity and brevity: “On January 30, 2019, I, Cpl. Michael Bowman, was on Interstate 40, releasing a violator, when I heard Arkansas Highway Police Lt. Tim Gushing say he was in pursuit of a vehicle. That day, within minutes of each other, dispatch had given out three different BOLOs for stolen vehicles out of Ft. Smith. Lt Gushing said that he was trying to stop one of the vehicles entered as stolen, which was going north on I-540 from Kelley Highway. Lt. Gushing was requesting assistance from the Arkansas State Police. I then turned my lights and siren on, and met the fleeing vehicle and Lt. Gushing around the 3 mile marker on Interstate 540.
The vehicle was a 2004 white Acura passenger car. I then became the secondary unit in the pursuit with Lt. Gushing. At the time when I first made contact, the vehicle was driving approximately 100 mph. I then followed the pursuit and watched as the vehicle passed traffic in an unsafe manner at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle then took the Interstate 40 west ramp and got onto Interstate 40. As I rounded the curve I could see that the vehicle was passing a tractor trailer on the shoulder. As we continued west, I continued to see that the vehicle would drive from 90 to 120 mph, and would recklessly pass vehicles either on the shoulder or the left lane. Then around the 3 mile marker on Interstate 40, the vehicle again passed a tractor trailer on the shoulder and struck something that caused the passenger side rear tire to go flat. Lt. Gushing then took the right lane, as if he was going to pass on the shoulder, so I slowed and he slowed, which caused me to eventually become the primary unit.
As this was taking place, I observed the passenger side rear tire come apart, which caused part of the fender to fly off of the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle slowed to 80 mph then accelerated again to over 90 mph. At the Dora Road Exit the suspect exited the interstate on to Dora Road, and continued traveling west. The suspect vehicle then drove across the double yellow line, and traveled into the oncoming traffic lane. At a sharp left hand curve, the vehicle passed westbound traffic again, by crossing the double yellow line into oncoming traffic lane. At the time I could see that there was no other traffic present, which would have been on coming. I was then informed to push her off the roadway in a curve that was a short distance ahead, if possible.
Once we got to the curve I could see that there was no traffic on the roadway, so I attempted to push the vehicle from behind, twice, towards the shoulder. This caused the back end of the suspect vehicle to fish tail around, however the vehicle recovered and continued traveling westbound.
The suspect then crossed into Oklahoma on US Highway 64D, headed back towards Garrison Avenue in Ft. Smith. I was behind the vehicle and it continued to drive from one lane to the other, and accelerated to 110 mph. I was then told that if I had a chance, to go ahead and attempt a PIT on the vehicle. When there was no traffic around, I pulled up along the driver’s side rear of the vehicle, and with the front right of my unit, I turned into the vehicle, just enough to cause the vehicle to spin off the roadway.
The vehicle left the roadway on the south side and began to roll. The suspect vehicle then struck a tree and came to rest on its tires facing north. As I was turning around, Lt. Gushing and Trp. Kevin Yates were at the vehicle assisting the driver, who was climbing out of the rear window. The driver, Brittany Putt, was then placed into handcuffs and an ambulance was called for her. While I was waiting, the vehicle was confirmed stolen out of Ft. Smith Police Department.
Once the ambulance arrived, the EMS crew began treating Putt and asked her what hospital she wanted to go to. Putt requested to go to Baptist in Ft. Smith. Putt was then taken by ambulance to the hospital and a Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy called for a wrecker to remove the vehicle. Lt Gushing went to the hospital and placed a hold on Putt out of Crawford County for Theft by Receiving, Felony Fleeing, and Driving on Suspended License. Putt also had a confirmed warrant for a probation violation.
On February 5th, 2019, I obtained warrants for the arrest of Putt, for the listed charges. I went to Baptist Health Care in Ft. Smith and made contact with Putt. I then explained the warrant for her arrest I had out of Crawford County and the one I had for a probation violation from the Arkansas Board of Parole. Once she signed the warrant, indicating she understood and promised to appear, I released her on her own recognizance.”
~~~
https://rwp.yt/join
/r/realworldpolice
@realworldpolice
@WhatYouHaventSeen
Apparently, the trooper was surprised to have not also ended Ms. Putt...
From the report of Corporal Michael Bowman, lightly edited for clarity and brevity: “On January 30, 2019, I, Cpl. Michael Bowman, was on Interstate 40, releasing a violator, when I heard Arkansas Highway Police Lt. Tim Gushing say he was in pursuit of a vehicle. That day, within minutes of each other, dispatch had given out three different BOLOs for stolen vehicles out of Ft. Smith. Lt Gushing said that he was trying to stop one of the vehicles entered as stolen, which was going north on I-540 from Kelley Highway. Lt. Gushing was requesting assistance from the Arkansas State Police. I then turned my lights and siren on, and met the fleeing vehicle and Lt. Gushing around the 3 mile marker on Interstate 540.
The vehicle was a 2004 white Acura passenger car. I then became the secondary unit in the pursuit with Lt. Gushing. At the time when I first made contact, the vehicle was driving approximately 100 mph. I then followed the pursuit and watched as the vehicle passed traffic in an unsafe manner at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle then took the Interstate 40 west ramp and got onto Interstate 40. As I rounded the curve I could see that the vehicle was passing a tractor trailer on the shoulder. As we continued west, I continued to see that the vehicle would drive from 90 to 120 mph, and would recklessly pass vehicles either on the shoulder or the left lane. Then around the 3 mile marker on Interstate 40, the vehicle again passed a tractor trailer on the shoulder and struck something that caused the passenger side rear tire to go flat. Lt. Gushing then took the right lane, as if he was going to pass on the shoulder, so I slowed and he slowed, which caused me to eventually become the primary unit.
As this was taking place, I observed the passenger side rear tire come apart, which caused part of the fender to fly off of the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle slowed to 80 mph then accelerated again to over 90 mph. At the Dora Road Exit the suspect exited the interstate on to Dora Road, and continued traveling west. The suspect vehicle then drove across the double yellow line, and traveled into the oncoming traffic lane. At a sharp left hand curve, the vehicle passed westbound traffic again, by crossing the double yellow line into oncoming traffic lane. At the time I could see that there was no other traffic present, which would have been on coming. I was then informed to push her off the roadway in a curve that was a short distance ahead, if possible.
Once we got to the curve I could see that there was no traffic on the roadway, so I attempted to push the vehicle from behind, twice, towards the shoulder. This caused the back end of the suspect vehicle to fish tail around, however the vehicle recovered and continued traveling westbound.
The suspect then crossed into Oklahoma on US Highway 64D, headed back towards Garrison Avenue in Ft. Smith. I was behind the vehicle and it continued to drive from one lane to the other, and accelerated to 110 mph. I was then told that if I had a chance, to go ahead and attempt a PIT on the vehicle. When there was no traffic around, I pulled up along the driver’s side rear of the vehicle, and with the front right of my unit, I turned into the vehicle, just enough to cause the vehicle to spin off the roadway.
The vehicle left the roadway on the south side and began to roll. The suspect vehicle then struck a tree and came to rest on its tires facing north. As I was turning around, Lt. Gushing and Trp. Kevin Yates were at the vehicle assisting the driver, who was climbing out of the rear window. The driver, Brittany Putt, was then placed into handcuffs and an ambulance was called for her. While I was waiting, the vehicle was confirmed stolen out of Ft. Smith Police Department.
Once the ambulance arrived, the EMS crew began treating Putt and asked her what hospital she wanted to go to. Putt requested to go to Baptist in Ft. Smith. Putt was then taken by ambulance to the hospital and a Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy called for a wrecker to remove the vehicle. Lt Gushing went to the hospital and placed a hold on Putt out of Crawford County for Theft by Receiving, Felony Fleeing, and Driving on Suspended License. Putt also had a confirmed warrant for a probation violation.
On February 5th, 2019, I obtained warrants for the arrest of Putt, for the listed charges. I went to Baptist Health Care in Ft. Smith and made contact with Putt. I then explained the warrant for her arrest I had out of Crawford County and the one I had for a probation violation from the Arkansas Board of Parole. Once she signed the warrant, indicating she understood and promised to appear, I released her on her own recognizance.”
~~~
https://rwp.yt/join
/r/realworldpolice
@realworldpolice
@WhatYouHaventSeen
