A driver impaired by drugs who was arrested last year after fleeing from Garland County sheriff's deputies in a stolen truck, ramming one deputy's unit twice, pleaded guilty to multiple charges Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court.
Paul Andrew Clark, 25, who had remained in custody since his arrest Oct. 6, 2019, pleaded guilty to felony counts of aggravated assault, fleeing and theft of property over $1,000 and was sentenced to five years' probation on each count, to run concurrently, and ordered to pay $440 in court costs and $9,695 in restitution for damages.
Clark also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated, drugs, first offense, and was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay $940 in fines and costs. He was given credit for time served so he was released from custody on Tuesday and must also complete the requirements from the DWI screening.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Oct. 6, shortly after 2 a.m., sheriff's Cpl. Fred Hawthorn was westbound on Northshore Drive when he came up behind a red Chevrolet pickup truck that was "going very slow."
As they reached Marion Anderson Road, the truck stopped at the intersection but then made a U-turn back onto Northshore. As the truck's headlights shined on Hawthorn's unit, the driver accelerated at a high rate of speed "leaving black marks" on the road.
The truck headed back east on Northshore as Hawthorn turned around and pursued it with lights and siren activated. The truck sped out of sight as several other sheriff's units joined in the pursuit. At one point, Deputy Grant Yarbrough located the truck, but it sped away from him.
Hawthorn set up at the intersection of Northshore and Southshore to try to block the truck in, but the truck drove through a yard to avoid him, almost hitting his unit, and then ran a stop sign as it sped away west on Northshore.
The truck turned onto Cochise Street to Warpath back to Northshore, running a stop sign again, and then deputies lost sight of it briefly. Yarbrough located the truck again on Gene Bell Cove and pulled up beside it, but it sped away again, running a third stop sign.
Yarbrough and Hawthorn pursued the truck which reached speeds in excess of 70 mph in a 25 mph zone. As it reached the intersection with Southshore again, several units were there to try to block it. The truck struck the unit of Sgt. Jeremy Simpson and continued on with multiple units in pursuit.
As the truck turned right onto Marion Anderson Road, running another stop sign, it reportedly collided with Simpson's unit a second time. As Hawthorn approached, Simpson had the truck blocked in and was pushing up against the driver's side door to keep the driver inside.
Hawthorn said he drove around and blocked the passenger door as the driver, later identified as Clark, was trying to get out. A third unit had blocked the front of the truck to keep it from pulling away.
Clark was taken into custody without further incident and told deputies he didn't have a driver's license and had taken the truck without permission. The owner later filed charges. A drug recognition test was conducted and Clark was determined to be driving while impaired.
Local on 04/23/2020