An investigation continues following two packages being discovered outside the Mountain Home Food Basket believed to have been left for an inmate on work detail.According to a report at the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, food basket personnel alerted law enforcement to the discovery.
Officers unwrapped the packages to find two unopened cans of tobacco in one and loose leaf tobacco, a lighter and more than two dozen oval pills in the second one.
After examining the packages and removing the pills, the bundles were returned to the locations where they were found.
Officers parked to observe the packages and later saw the work detail inmate retrieve one of them.
When the inmate returned to the Baxter County Detention Center, the retrieved bag was located inside his shorts.
Law enforcement advised late last week no charges have been filed in connection with the incident.
This is the second reported incident involving an inmate on work detail at the food basket.
In 2017, Jimmy Leon Bohannon of Mountain Home, who once served as the police chief in a small town in East Arkansas, was the subject of an escape from custody when he walked away from a work detail assignment at the food basket.
A manhunt was launched for Bohannon, involving personnel from the sheriff’s office, the Mountain Home Police Department, the Arkansas State Police, the K-9 dog tracking team from the Calico Rock unit of the state prison system and the sheriff’s office helicopter.
The escape charge was later dropped when Bohannon pled guilty to theft and drug charges and was given six years in prison, after being charged with battery, residential burglary, fleeing, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental operations and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bohannon was first arrested when two Mountain Home Police officers were dealing with a traffic stop on Eighth Street.
One of the officers saw a male hiding behind a fence looking toward a second officer. When the man was approached, he ran across the street. When stopped, the man — later identified as Bohannon — gave a false name and age.
The officer believing the man was much older than he had represented himself to be, exited his vehicle, and Bohannon fled on foot. In the ensuing chase, the officer tackled Bohannon at one point. Bohannon was alleged to have elbowed the officer in the eye and struck him in the face and forehead several times.
Bohannon broke free and ran toward Foster Street. The officer lost sight of the fleeing man as he ran into the back yard of a residence on Foster Street. The homeowner was standing outside and said the suspect may have run into the house. The owner went inside and the officer said he heard people yelling at someone, telling them to get out of their house.
When the officer entered the residence, he reported the homeowner was holding Bohannon at gunpoint in a bedroom closet. Bohannon is alleged to have asked the homeowner to shoot him.
In subduing Bohannon, the officer had the assistance of two other males in the house.
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