Izard County’s Chief Deputy, Steve Davidson, was seriously injured during a two-county pursuit Monday afternoon after the suspect crashed into his vehicle. Sheriff Charley Melton says Davidson suffered a broken leg and foot and is still hospitalized.
Arrested for the incident is 27-year-old Zachoria Henry of Melbourne. Charges against Henry are pending.
The incident started at 12:40 when dispatch received a call about a vehicle turning into a parking lot and throwing gravel into parked cars. A few minutes later, a victim called to say the suspect had purposely hit him with the fender of his vehicle.
A deputy located Henry’s vehicle a few minutes later and attempted to stop it just south of Melbourne. The vehicle refused to stop and took off at a high rate of speed.
The pursuit lasted approximately one hour, traveling from Melbourne to Mount Pleasant, Zion, Sage, and to near Sidney before coming back to Mount Pleasant.
Henry turned onto Barren Fork Road and Chief Deputy Davidson had the road blocked at the Barren Fork Bridge with his patrol vehicle and had gotten out of the vehicle. Henry did not slow down, so Davidson fired his shotgun at the suspect’s vehicle just before it hit the chief deputy’s vehicle. The result of the crash caused Chief Davidsons patrol vehicle to hit him.
After the crash, Henry fled on foot, but was apprehended a short time later. He is being held in the Independence County Detention Center without bond.
The investigation of the incident and the crash is being handled by the Arkansas State Police.
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