In the late evening hours of June 13, 2022, a female was traveling southbound on Highway 65, just outside of McGehee city limits, when she says a “black car” pulled up beside her and began shooting her car.
The female who was on her cell phone with the McGehee Police Department dispatcher at the time, immediately pulled over on the side of the highway and reported the incident and gave the description of the vehicle and its direction of travel (Northbound on Highway 65). This information was relayed to on duty police officers who minutes later met a vehicle fitting the description on Highway 65 Northbound and initiated a traffic stop.
The vehicle, was a black Nissan Altima. After making contact with the driver, who stated that he did not have a drivers license, SGT Mark Harmon asked him step out of the vehicle. The driver told officers that the two had been fishing and gave consent to search the vehicle.
PTL Steven Plunkett opened the back passenger side door (no one was sitting in front passenger seat) and had the passenger exit the vehicle. As he stood, Plunkett observed a bullet fall to the ground and several loose bullets in the floorboard. Plunkett asked where the gun was?
Officers then observed a .40 caliber Taurus handgun laying under the passenger seat. The firearm was loaded with a round chambered and three in the mag . Both occupants were then detained.
A check of the firearm through NCIC returned as stolen.
A black backpack was behind the driver’s seat, inside officers located two more firearms, a .40 caliber GLOCK 22 and a .45 caliber GLOCK 45.
Officers also located two “high capacity magazines”, one was for a 9mm Glock and one “drum” style Glock 40 caliber magazine 9 approx 30 round capacity. In total 24 9mm rounds and 22 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition were located.
Both occupants were under the age of 18 and were placed under arrest. The vehicle was towed by Archies Garage.
Investigator Bradberry and Deputy Carroll Sirmon of the Desha County Sheriff's Department went to McGehee hospital and met with the
victim at approximately 12:22 am. She had driven to McGehee City Hospital as she thought she had been shot.
Bradberry looker over her vehicle and observed at least 5 bullet holes in her car. One across the hood and into the windshield, one in the “post” between the windshield and door, one in the middle of the drivers door, one in the rear passenger door, and one on the back wheel. The driver’s side window was shattered and held in place by the window tint. Located in the drivers seat was a lead bullet projectile.
The victim stated that after she got off work that night she went to her residence and turned on her front door light, and left to go pick up her children.
She stated she was “on her phone” at the STOP sign in front of McGehee Hospital when she noticed headlights from a vehicle behind her. She states that the vehicle stayed behind her until she changed lanes to the slow lane “right lane” near Walmart when the suspect vehicle came up beside her in the left lane and began shooting. She states she heard four or five shots.
Bradberry asked if she could see which window the shots came from and she said that when she looked, the passenger front window was “rolled up”. This is consistent with what McGehee PD officers observed at the time of the traffic stop and the seating of the occupants of the vehicle.
Both juveniles are charged with possession of a handgun by a minor and theft by receiving (firearm) as well as Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm from a vehicle. Both are in Jack Jones Detention Center in Pine Bluff and expected to have a first appearance tomorrow.
The two may possibly be prosecuted as adults due to the seriousness of the crimes.
