A parolee who rammed an Arkansas State Police unit last year while fleeing was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Garland County Circuit Court.
Derrick Antonio Connors, 38, of Little Rock, who has remained in custody since his arrest Aug. 28, 2018, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault and one count of fleeing and was sentenced to the maximum of six years on each count, to run concurrently, and ordered to pay $170 in court costs and $6,806.86 in restitution for damages.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Aug. 13, 2018, Arkansas State Police Cpl. Chris Garner and Trooper Brian Heinley were patrolling Arkansas 70 east when Heinley saw a white Ford F-150 traveling 72 mph in a 60 mph zone.
Heinley initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle as it turned onto Arkansas 128 and approached the driver's side door to speak to the driver, later identified as Connors. While speaking to him, Connors refused to roll his window down "a sufficient amount for Heinley to effectively communicate with him."
After being asked to roll his window down several times, Connors fled the traffic stop by accelerating and turning his vehicle 180 degrees. While Connors was attempting to flee, Heinley returned to the driver's seat of his unit.
Connors rammed the front left side of his vehicle into the front left of Heinley's unit, pushed the patrol vehicle and forcing Garner to run to avoid being struck. The collision disabled Heinley's unit so they could not pursue Connors.
Connors reportedly abandoned his vehicle a short distance away and fled the area on foot. A manhunt was later conducted but Connors could not be located at that time.
On Aug. 28, Connors turned himself in to Arkansas Community Correction's Special Response Team agents in Little Rock and was transported back to Hot Springs. He had been set to stand trial this week.