Photo: Billy Ray Willis
A Stone County man, 40-year-old Billy Ray Willis, reportedly on the run since 2018, has been captured, after he allegedly threw his one-ton truck into reverse, with the bed of his vehicle going over the top of the push bumper and into the hood of a deputy’s patrol unit, as the officer gave chase.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the incident began Thursday morning when officers from the Stone County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission responded to an illegal dumping complaint on the side of Younger Access Road near Mountain View.
Officers located spoiled grain, chicken litter, burned rafters, bed springs and other trash at the dump site, with some on the county right-of-way.
Officers canvassed the neighborhood and found a witness who provided a description of a truck pulling a dump bed tractor-trailer that had been in the area earlier that day.
Later in the morning, the officers located a vehicle matching the description, along with sacks of spoiled grain, a few miles from the dumpsite at a residence on the corner of Church Road and Arkansas Highway 14 East in Saint James. Tracks of mud and skid marks allowed the officers to locate the residence.
When the officers approached the yard, a male, later identified as Willis, was working on the truck spotted at the dump site.
As the Game and Fish officer approached Willis, he ran and jumped into the truck. The officer opened the truck door and attempted to apprehend Willis, who was recognized as a parole absconder wanted for aggravated assault and fleeing.
Willis led the two officers on a pursuit north on Church Road. At its intersection with Lindsey Hill Road, he allegedly stopped, put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to ram the Game and Fish officer’s vehicle. The officer was able to maneuver his vehicle and avoid Willis’ truck.
Willis turned left onto Lindsey Hill Road and continued for a block or so and stopped again. For the second time, he placed his vehicle in reverse, heading for the deputy’s patrol unit at a high rate of speed.
This time, despite the deputy putting his vehicle in reverse and backing, Willis made contact with the patrol unit, going over its push bumper and into the hood with the bed of his truck.
The deputy exited his vehicle, with Willis placing his truck in reverse again attempting to strike the officer. Instead, Willis’ truck struck the patrol vehicle a second time before leaving the scene.
The deputy attempted to disable Willis’ truck by discharging his firearm into the rear dual tires. However, Willis managed to continue fleeing.
The officers continued their pursuit, with Willis turning in at a residence along Lindsey Hill Road. While still functional, both Willis’ truck and the deputy’s vehicle were becoming disabled. Both would be towed from the scene.
The Game and Fish officer administered a PIT maneuver ending the pursuit.
After a brief struggle, Willis was taken into custody without further incident.
An Arkansas State Police trooper responded to the scene to work the accident. It was also determined the tag on Willis’ truck belonged to another vehicle.
Willis is facing three felony counts of aggravated assault, as well as single counts of fleeing and first-degree criminal mischief. He also faces misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, illegal dumping, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license. He was charged as a habitual offender, having been convicted of four more felonies.
He is being held in the Stone County Detention Center on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Willis’ most recent incident is similar to two he was involved in 2017.
According to an affidavit, officers from the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office attempted to arrest Willis on a felony warrant in June 2017. When Willis spotted the deputies, he fled to a nearby truck. A deputy reached the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to handcuff Willis.
Willis responded by slamming the door of the vehicle into the deputy pushing him backwards.
Willis reportedly began cursing and yelling at the deputy, saying if he didn’t let him go, he was going to run over him and kill him.
The deputy retrieved his duty weapon, giving commands as he held Willis at gunpoint. Willis, however, started the vehicle, leading the second deputy to run from his patrol unit to the confrontation, reaching the passenger side of the truck.
Willis accelerated backwards, striking the deputy on the driver’s side of the truck in the leg with his vehicle.
The deputies retreated to their patrol unit for cover, as Willis continued speeding backwards in his truck.
Willis straightened his vehicle and headed for a field, with the officers in pursuit.
Willis drove through a barbed wire fence and continued on until his vehicle struck a stump and blew a tire. He fled on foot, with the two deputies attempting unsuccessfully to catch him.
He was charged with felony counts of terroristic threatening and fleeing.
In May 2017, Cleburne County authorities were attempting to locate Willis at a residence, when they saw him drive by. The deputies returned to their patrol unit and a pursuit ensued at a high rate of speed.
When Willis’ vehicle traveled down a dead-end road, he turned toward what appeared to be a trail and started driving down it. When he arrived at a homemade gate blocking the entrance to the path, Willis’ drove his vehicle through it.
His vehicle then became disabled when it struck a boulder, and Willis fled on foot. Again, Willis was able to evade law enforcement.
They returned to the disabled vehicle, found it still running despite there being no key in the ignition. A loaded rifle was found in the vehicle.
Willis was charged with felony counts of fleeing and possession of a firearm by certain persons.
In 2018, he was sentenced to 60 months in the Arkansas Department of Correction on charges from the two incidents in 2017.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI