A Springdale man charged with multiple felonies in connection with an alleged carjacking and kidnapping Tuesday night pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday in Garland County District Court and reportedly had to be removed from the video courtroom for causing a disturbance.
Buford Allen Clark, 31, was arrested late Wednesday in the Gravel Ridge community outside Sherwood by a multiagency task force that had tracked him there and was charged with kidnapping and aggravated robbery, each punishable by up to life in prison, and criminal attempt at aggravated robbery, punishable by up to 30 years.
Clark, who was on parole at the time of his arrest, was initially held without bond but after appearing before Judge Meredith Switzer and pleading not guilty to the charges she set his bond at $1 million.
Court records also noted Clark was removed from the courtroom "after starting problems and yelling."
A felony review hearing to determine if the case will be bound over to Garland County Circuit Court is now set for Oct. 8.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on Tuesday night, Clark allegedly attempted to rob an employee, 22, of Charlie's Pizza Pub, 127 McNeely Circle, near Hot Springs Village, who was sitting in his car outside the restaurant but was scared away by other employees walking out.
Moments later, Clark allegedly approached an 18-year-old who was sitting in his vehicle at the Shell gas station, 4401 Highway 7 north, and forced his way into the vehicle and threatened the teen with a knife to get him to drive away.
He tried to get the teen to withdraw $200 from an ATM, but the teen jumped out of the vehicle at one point and Clark allegedly stole the vehicle and drove away.
Garland County sheriff's investigators tracked the stolen vehicle, a gray 2003 Ford Escape, to a location on Ranch Estates Road and developed information that led them to identify Clark as the suspect.
He was arrested by officers with Arkansas Community Correction's Special Response Team, Little Rock Violent Crime Apprehension Team, Arkansas State Police, Sherwood Police Department and the GCSD.
Clark was reportedly "combative" during the arrest and continued to be violent and disruptive while being transported to the Garland County Detention Center, according to ACC SRT special agent Brandon Emerson.
Local on 08/18/2018