By Ray King
A $75,000 bond was set Tuesday for a Little Rock man accused of leading Pine Bluff Police on a high-speed chase Sunday that started at 15th and Olive and ended on Interstate 530 in Redfield.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge Bryon Huskey, 23, with felony fleeing, aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the court hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Carson said court records showed that Huskey was previously convicted of several counts of breaking or entering and theft of property in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Reading from a probable cause affidavit from Vice and Narcotics Lt. Jason Howard, Carson said Howard and Sgt. Jackie Stevenson attempted to stop a jeep driven by Huskey and after the officers activated their blue lights, Huskey drove the jeep directly at Stevenson before fleeing. The jeep traveled down Walnut Street at 65 miles-per-hour and Huskey disregarded stop signs, then to Cherry Street and finally to the Martha Mitchell Expressway, running stop lights and stop signs.
When the jeep reached Interstate 530 Howard took over the pursuit which reportedly reached up to 110-miles-per-hour as the vehicles traveled north. Redfield Police placed spike strips at the 20 mile-marker and the jeep wrecked at the 18 mile-marker where three males tried to flee on foot. One was caught at the scene and the other two, including Huskey were taken into custody on Highway 365.
Carson said officers found papers in the jeep with Huskey’s name on them and found a bag containing 37 multi-colored pills that weighed a total of 9.6 grams and were determined to be Ecstasy in the jeep. They also found a nine-millimeter handgun in the driver’s side floorboard and magazines and loose nine-millimeter ammunition.
Huskey said he would hire his own attorney.
