A man’s erratic behavior in Jonesboro led police on a chase earlier this week after he stole a law enforcement vehicle and fled at a “high rate of speed,” according to police.
In a probable cause affidavit, police said they responded to multiple incidents involving Albert “AJ” Brown, 39, of Trumann between 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The first involved responding officers being called to a local hospital in reference to Brown believing members of the Ku Klux Klan had vandalized his vehicle. Police later let him go after not finding any credibility in his claim, the document filed in district court read.
Another officer later made contact with Brown during a traffic stop after observing that he was driving erratically and had ran a red light at Southwest Drive and South Culberhouse Street.
Brown, who got out of his vehicle and walked onto the interstate, was reluctant to obey police commands for him to return to his vehicle, according to authorities. Use of a taser about 5 to 6 feet away from Brown produced “no effect,” the affidavit read.
At that point, the officer said she was forced to close down interstate traffic in the area.
While attempting to apprehend Brown as he ran, the officer said, she was unable to reach him before he got into her running patrol car and drove away south on South Culberhouse at Parker Road.
The chase continued through the intersection of Lawson and South Culberhouse and later County Road 428 near Arkansas 163 before Brown surrendered near the Bay exit on I-155, according to police.
Police said Brown was acting “very irrational and maybe believed things were happening that were not really happening,” adding that this mental health was a concern. A mental health screening has been ordered, said Jonesboro police spokesman Paul Holmes.
Brown was then taken into custody, taken to a local hospital and later transported to the Craighead County jail.
He remained a the jail as of Thursday evening in lieu of $100,000, records show.