An investigation is underway in Scott County involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
The investigation has reportedly been ongoing since the arrest of Robert Lee Deer Jr.,49, of Van Buren. Deer was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on February 17, 2022 at 1:36 a.m. and charged with assault on a certified law enforcement officer and fleeing.
Deer was granted a signature bond. He was released on February 23 at 8:45 a.m.
Deer was traveling through Huntington when Officer Mark Harris attempted to make a traffic stop. Deer failed to stop and the Mansfield Police Department joined in pursuing Deer. That chase continued into Scott County.
Deer was reportedly apprehended near the Scott and Logan County line. Additional agencies involved include the Waldron Police Department, and the Scott County Sheriff’s office.
Officer Harris transported Deer to the Sebastian County Detention Center, where he was booked into custody. According to Huntington Mayor Gary Lawrence, charges against Deer have since been dropped.
As of press time, no police incident report has been made available. Requests were made to all of the departments involved. Both the Mansfield Police Department and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office stated that because their department was not the arresting agency, no incident reports were made. The attorney for the City of Waldron, Mark Johnson, responded and denied the FOIA request on the basis that the information requested was part of an ongoing investigation.
Huntington’s City Attorney John Verkamp denied the Freedom of Information Act request to provide an incident report, stating “the matters involving Robert Lee Deer and the police officers of various law enforcement agencies are currently the subject of investigation. It is my understanding that the Arkansas State Police is investigating the incident. The local law enforcement offices, including the City of Huntington, are investigating the incident.”
Resident News is monitoring this story and will continue to follow it and bring you updates.
