By Ray King
A $25,000 bond was set Friday for a Pine Bluff man who was reportedly driving a stolen car when he fled from police Thursday.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge Tracy Davis, 45, with felony fleeing and theft by receiving.
Reading from a probable cause affidavit from Detective Lt. Jason Howard, Deputy Prosecutor Jay Girard said Howard was traveling south on Cypress Street near 11th Avenue behind a dark colored Kia when a white four-door car ran the stop sign and almost hit the Kia, causing it to run into a yard.
Howard reported that he tried to run the license plate number but could not get on the radio because other officers were using it. He reported that the car, which was later determined to be driven by Davis slowed down when it reached 13th Avenue and Maple Street and then sped up, reaching speeds of up to 65 miles-per-hour at 13th Avenue and Franklin Street.
The pursuit continued toward the Dollarway area and when the vehicle reached the intersection of Malcomb and Hoover Streets, it almost hit a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department car driven by Sgt. Courtney Kelly.
Girard said during the pursuit, the car reached speeds of up to 75 miles-per-hour, ran multiple stop signs, and almost hit a number of other vehicles. Davis lost control of the vehicle which slid into a ditch and hit a culvert and Davis and a male passenger both fled on foot.
Davis was taken into custody and an Arkansas identification card with his name and picture were found in the vehicle. An identification card with the name of a second individual was also found in the vehicle. A records check showed that there was an active parole violation warrant for that person, and an active parole violation warrant for Davis.
A check of the vehicle identification number of the car showed that it had been reported stolen in Pine Bluff in October.
The Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Davis.
