PEA RIDGE, Ark. — Two juveniles were taken into custody after an alleged shoplifting incident led to a police pursuit in Pea Ridge.
Early Friday (March 19) at around 2:10 a.m., officers were near the Pea Ridge Police Department when they saw a male wearing dark clothing running westbound away from the White Oak Station and get into a passenger car.
According to police, the passenger car then drove onto Slack Street and began driving on the roadway with no headlights. At the same time, the officers then noticed an employee running out of the White Oak Station and motioning for help as he was pointing at the person/vehicle driving away from the store.
Officers then tried to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle for the traffic violation and suspicious activity.
Police say the vehicle would not stop at the officers' emergency lights and continued to flee and commit various traffic-related offenses. Officers continued to pursue the vehicle and continued west towards Bentonville on Highway 72.
Pea Ridge Police Officers requested the Little Flock Police Department's assistance in the deployment of spike strips to disable the fleeing vehicle.
Little Flock Police were able to respond and successfully deployed the spike strips. As a result, the spike strips flattened the fleeing vehicle's tires, ending the vehicle pursuit.
The vehicle was occupied by two people who were taken into custody. Officers later determined the two occupants were juveniles.
Officers also learned that one of the occupants was involved in shoplifting (which occurred behind the cash register) at White Oak Station.
Police say that one occupant allegedly threatened the other occupant that harm would come to them if they surrendered to the police during the pursuit.
Both juveniles, who were not identified, were transported to the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center and received various criminal charges to include:
• Shoplifting
• Tampering with Evidence
• Terroristic Threatening
• Fleeing
• Various Traffic-Related Offenses
Pea Ridge Police say no one was hurt during this encounter.