Michigan men arrested in Arkansas with Molotov cocktails, guns

TONITOWN — Two Michigan men were arrested last week in Arkansas after fleeing police in a stolen moving van with guns and Molotov cocktails, officials said.

The two men, Trenton Johnson and Robert Mercier, both 21, are wanted for allegedly trying to run over Westland police officers, according to authorities.

Johnson and Mercier have both been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, possession of destructive devices, felony fleeing, second-degree battery, four counts of criminal mischief, resisting arrest and additional multiple felony charges, Tontitown, Arkansas police officials said in a statement Friday.

Both men were being held at the Benton County Detention Center.

A judge set Johnson's bond at $75,000 and $100,000 for Mercier, according to the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said the two were arrested last Wednesday after a high-speed car chase that involved multiple police departments.

Locust Grove, Arkansas, police began pursuing U-Haul cargo van they suspected was stolen, according to authorities. Locust Grove is about 56 miles west of Tontitown.

At one point during the chase, the van struck another vehicle head-on near Colcord, Oklahoma, but continued to flee, investigators said. They also said speeds in the chase reached more than 120 mph.

It then approached the Tontitown city limits. Tontitown is about 200 miles northwest of Little Rock and about 100 miles east of Tulsa.

Officers requested help from the Tontitown Police Department at about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

ATontitown police officer executed a maneuver with his vehicle to end it on Interstate 49 just outside the city limits, authorities said. After the maneu-

See STATE, page A3 STATE

From page A2

ver, the officer's vehicle rolled over multiple times. The officer was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, treated and released.

Police arrested the cargo van's two occupants, later identified as Johnson and Mercier. They said Mercier was driving the van.

Officers searched the van and recovered firearms and homemade incendiary bombs.

***

State police use mental health training in bridge incident

LAWRENCE COUNTY — According to a release from the Arkansas State Police, ASP troopers helped save the lives of two individuals facing dire mental health crises on Feb. 6.

“I am extremely proud of how our troopers use compassion and professionalism to help men and women grappling with mental health challenges,” said ASP Colonel Mike Hagar. “Making sure citizens in need know they are not alone is sometimes the most important part of a trooper’s job.”

The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office contacted ASP for assistance with a man who fled from officers before climbing onto a bridge railing and threatening to jump into the Black River beneath Highway 412 near Black Rock. Two off-duty troopers responded to the scene and successfully persuaded the individual to climb down to safety and receive care and counseling.

In a separate incident the same evening, troopers responded to assist a man in crisis who was threatening to jump into the Mississippi River from the Interstate 40 East bridge. In coordination with the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team, one Trooper established a rapport with the individual, allowing other troopers to pull him off the ledge to safety.

All troopers receive extensive mental health training, including the following courses: Encountering and Dealing with the Mentally Impaired; Behavioral Health and Crisis Intervention for Law Enforcement; and De-Escalation.

***

Arkansas governor nominates new corrections head after fight over prison authority

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday nominated a new corrections secretary after her first pick for the job was fired by a state panel amid a feud over who runs the state prison system.

Sanders nominated Lindsay Wallace, who has served as chief of staff at the Department of Corrections since 2020, to lead the department.

The appointment must be confirmed by the state Board of Corrections.

Sanders said she had talked with the board's chairman and each member about the appointment.

'I know that Lindsay has the experience to lead the Department and will work diligently to expand prison capacity and end the failed policy of catch and early release,' Sanders said in a statement.

Joe Profiri, who Sanders had named secretary last year, was fired in January after a state judge blocked a law that took away the panel's ability to hire and fire the secretary and gave it to the governor.

Sanders hired Profiri to serve as a senior advisor to her in the governor's office, and a spokeswoman said he will remain on the governor's staff in some capacity.

Wallace's nomination comes after former state Sen. Eddie Joe Williams, who the board had hired as interim secretary, stepped down from the position after serving a week.

Board Chairman Benny Magness said the panel would take action on the nomination as soon as they can all gather for a meeting.

'I appreciate Governor Sanders taking the time to meet with me yesterday and for the nomination of Lindsay Wallace as Secretary of the Department of Corrections,' Magness said in a statement.

Sanders' meeting with the chairman and board members comes nearly three months after she publicly criticized the panel for not moving forward with with proposal to open more temporary prison beds. Arkansas' prison system is exceeding its capacity, and there's a backlog of state inmates being held in county jails.

Members of the panel have expressed concerns about opening additional beds without enough staff.

Wallace has worked for the state since 2007, when she worked for the Department of Human Services. She later moved to the legal section of the Arkansas Sentencing Commission and worked there for 10 years before joining the Department of Corrections.

'I am committed to working with all stakeholders, the Governor, the legislature, and Board of Corrections to ensure we fix our corrections system,' Wallace said. 'I'm glad the Governor has put her trust in me to do so.'