Jerry Brown of Mountain Home — who was arrested this month after being reported slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle which was rolling backward on 8th Street with the engine running — made a first appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday and entered a not guilty plea to charges filed against him stemming from the incident.He was ordered to reappear in Circuit Court July 6th by Judge John Putman.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a bystander began knocking on the vehicle’s windows in an effort to wake Brown. The bystander also called 9-1-1 to report what was happening and request assistance.
The 48-year-old Brown did wake up long enough to drive into an apartment complex along 8th Street where he appeared to pass out once more.
The bystander again knocked on a window of the car in an attempt to get Brown’s attention. Brown’s response was to point what appeared to be a black handgun at the person before driving off.
The concerned bystander followed Brown on 8th Street and south on Bryant Street where Brown went through a stop sign on 9th Street and pulled into the parking lot of Eastside Baptist Church. A Mountain Home police officer made contact with Brown in the church parking lot. The officer approached the vehicle, but Brown put the vehicle in gear drove through the parking lot, onto grass surrounding the lot, went over a curb and back onto 9th Street.
Brown then headed north bound through the city, running multiple stop signs and stoplights. Officers chased the vehicle at speeds exceeding 100 miles-per-hour on Highway 201 North where Brown went across the state line into Missouri. Mountain Home Police, and deputies from the Baxter County and Ozark County Sheriff’s offices were involved in the chase.
At times during the pursuit, Brown was reported to cross into oncoming lanes of traffic and at intervals slammed on his brakes causing pursuing officers to come close to rear ending his vehicle.
The pursuit ended on Highway 160 in Missouri when Brown’s vehicle ran out of gas. Brown was reported to have bolted from the vehicle and fled into the woods on foot. He was taken into custody a short time later.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a Baxter County Sheriff’s Office patrol car was damaged during the chase. Officers also reported finding a Crossman BB gun against a curb at the corner of Bryant and 9th Street matching the description of the one allegedly brandished by Brown in the apartment complex parking lot during the early stages of the incident.
At the time of his arrest stemming from the chase, Brown was on probation after pleading guilty to charges in two drug-related cases in August of last year.
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