A rural Gassville man in the Baxter County Detention Center after last week’s high-speed pursuit and manhunt is now facing additional charges from the incident. Fulton County authorities have added 14 felonies to the charges 25-year-old Dylan Lawyer is facing in Baxter County.
The incident began in Baxter County when deputies chased a truck reported stolen from a local residence at speeds over 90 miles per hour. After the chase moved to Fulton County, the truck reportedly ran into a ditch and knocked over a road sign in Gepp before getting back on U.S. Highway 62/412. Five vehicles swerved to keep from getting struck by the truck.
The truck turned onto Enterprise Road northwest of Viola and wrecked at the intersection with Pickern Hall Road. The suspect, later identified as Lawyer, allegedly fled on foot into the woods, and his tracks were followed by the Arkansas Department of Correction K-9 team for several hours.
Fulton County deputies set up a roadblock at the end of Enterprise Road and spotted a truck approaching at a high rate of speed. It reportedly slowed down and sped up again, and the driver was looking toward the rear seat several times. The truck came to a stop, and the male driver and his wife were reportedly acting nervous. As a deputy advised the driver of the roadblock, he looked in the extended cab and noticed an individual in the floorboard.
As he was exiting the vehicle, Lawyer claimed the driver was his grandfather but couldn’t give his name. Lawyer reportedly became verbally abusive to the driver in an attempt to corroborate the relationship, but the female passenger said she didn’t know the suspect. She said Lawyer was lying at the foot of their bed when she and her husband woke up and was asking for pain pills. She said she didn’t have any, and Lawyer allegedly said if they didn’t drive him to Mountain Home, he was going to hurt her husband. Lawyer also reportedly threatened to harm the couple if the driver didn’t run through the roadblock.
Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork placed leg restraints on Lawyer. As the sheriff was about to put his wrists in chain restraints, Lawyer pulled away allegedly attempting to strike Roork in the face. He told Sheriff Roork and a deputy he was going to take them out, and it would be quick.
Lawyer was charged in Fulton County with residential burglary, two counts of first-degree false imprisonment, five counts of aggravated assault, four counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, fleeing and theft of property. His bond on the Fulton County charges is set at $500,000.
Lawyer is also facing felony counts of criminal attempt to commit aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, breaking or entering, fleeing, two counts of theft of property, possession of a firearm by certain persons and criminal mischief in Baxter County. He also has a penalty enhancement as a habitual offender. Lawyer’s bond is set at $120,000.
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