Eureka Springs Man Evades Capture
Sheriff's Office Investigating Incident
Last updated Monday, January 5, 2009 9:10 PM CST in News
By Christopher Spencer
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- An Eureka Springs man fired upon by a Washington County constable Friday evening while fleeing a traffic stop continues to evade authorities.
The man believed to escape, Jad Perkins, 29, was not injured, but did wreck the black 1996 Ford Explorer he was driving, according to Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies. Perkins fled into the woods near Wallin Mountain and Schaeffer roads and could not be found after several hours of searching.
West Fork Police Chief Mike Nelson said while his department is not actively hunting for Perkins, officers are continuing to look for him and will arrest him if they see him. Washington County will complete a report of the incident and turn it over to the prosecuting attorney's office in order to get an arrest warrant for Perkins, sheriff's office spokeswoman Kelly Cantrell said.
Perkins was pulled over by a West Fork police officer at a grocery store in town. Farmington police asked West Fork police to make the stop because Perkins is a suspect in a car theft. He is also wanted for violating parole on a prior burglary charge.
Perkins fled the stop as soon as the West Fork police officer exited his patrol car. He drove north along U.S. 71 toward Greenland. Two men, a Greenland police officer and constable Jim Renfrow of Greenland, put a spiked strip in the sport utility vehicle's path in an effort to stop the vehicle.
Perkins made erratic movements toward the two with the Ford Explorer, prompting Renfrow to fire his pistol twice into the vehicle, deputies said.
Renfrow, 35, said Monday he would not comment on the ongoing investigation.
The elected office of constable is established by the Arkansas Constitution and gives the elected person powers similar to a sheriff within the township where the constable was elected. Renfrow started his third two-year term the same day as the shooting after being sworn in as the District 12 constable that morning.
He works for Wal-Mart ensuring the company's stores comply with U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives' regulations.
He is a former sergeant with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and worked as an international police officer in the Balkan country of Kosovo between 2001 and 2003 while the country was being administered by the United Nations.
Renfrow said he was running errands in Greenland, checking at the post office and stopping by a convenience store, when he heard West Fork police were chasing Perkins.
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johndoe wrote on Jan 26, 2009 11:33 PM: