A Bonnerdale man was arrested Sunday evening after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop, jumping in Lake Hamilton and swimming to a small island, requiring deputies to requisition a boat to apprehend him.
Chevis Cody Brock, 42, who lists a Pearcy Road address, was taken into custody shortly before 6 p.m. and charged with fleeing on foot, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.
Brock was being held on $500 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Garland County sheriff's Cpl. Felix Hunter was on Quaker Street working a case involving a stolen vehicle when he saw a black Honda CRV drive near his location, quickly turn around and speed away.
He ran the license plate of the Honda, which returned to a Dodge Caravan, so he and Sgt. Bill House got in their patrol units and drove until they located the vehicle on Albert Pike Road near Woodland Shores. Hunter made a traffic stop on the vehicle in the 100 block of Pleasure Isle Road.
During the course of the traffic stop, the white male front seat passenger of the Honda jumped out and ran down to Lake Hamilton. Hunter said he saw the man, later identified as Brock, jump into the water and swim across to a small island where he stopped "just inside the tree line." Then Hunter lost sight of the man in the woods on the island.
Deputies surrounded the area and Sgt. Greg Kellar and his K-9 partner and Deputy Andrew Goodman got into a private boat that took them to the island. After a few minutes, the dog was able to track Brock to where he was hiding in a hole near the bank.
Brock was ordered to get out of the hole and was finally taken into custody without further incident. He was taken back to the mainland where he was cleared medically by LifeNet personnel and then taken to the detention center.
The driver of the Honda, identified as Joshua Eligha Teague, 40, of Glenwood, who stayed in the vehicle, was found to have a warrant for a parole violation so he was also arrested and remained in custody Monday on a zero bond parole hold.
According to court records, Brock was previously arrested on March 20, 2019, for fleeing on foot and possession of drug paraphernalia and pleaded no contest to the charges two days later in district court. He was sentenced to one year in jail with all but 30 days suspended.
Local on 10/29/2019