Jimmy Leon Bohannon of Mountain Home, who once served as the police chief in a small town in East Arkansas, pled guilty to charges filed against him in Baxter county and was given six years in prison during a special session of Baxter County Circuit Court Tuesday.
In an earlier court appearance, Bohannon had told the court that he had served as a police officer for 16 years before going from law enforcement to law breaking. He had been police chief in Keiser in Mississippi County. According to court records from that county, Bohannon was arrested and charged with a number of thefts that took place in November and December of 2005 and January of 2006. In addition, Bohannon had been charged with drug-related offenses in early February 2006.
In Baxter County, the 49-year-old Bohannon was first arrested in mid-January when two Mountain Home Police officers were dealing with a traffic stop on 8th Street.
One of the officers, Sergeant Robert McCoy, saw a male hiding behind a fence looking toward a second officer. McCoy was still in his patrol car when he approached the man who then ran across the street. When McCoy stopped the man and asked for his name and age, the man — later identified as Bohannon — gave a false name and age.
McCoy, who felt the man was much older that he had represented himself to be, exited his vehicle and Bohannon fled on foot. In the ensuing chase, McCoy tackled Bohannon at one point and Bohannon is alleged to have elbowed McCoy in the eye and struck him in the face and forehead several times.
Bohannon broke free and ran toward Foster Street. McCoy 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 Sergeant McCoy says he heard people yelling at someone, telling them to get out of their house.
When McCoy 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, McCoy had the assistance of two other males in the house.
As part of the plea agreement, the state announced that it was dismissing a charge of 2nd degree escape filed against Bohannon stemming from his walking away from an inmate work detail assigned to duties at the Mountain Home Food Basket April 7th. 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.
At the conclusion of the sentencing, Bohannon asked if he could address the court. He said he wanted to apologize for his actions and that he intended to be a better man in the future.
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