PEA RIDGE, Ark — UPDATE: The suspect was just caught in Little Flock off Rustic Drive. They were taken into custody without incident. No other information or their identity has been released at this time.
ORIGINAL STORY:
At around 10:15 a.m. the Benton County Sheriff's Office was engaged in a vehicle pursuit. During the pursuit, the vehicle crashed on Highway 94 near Brush Creek Road and the driver of the vehicle fled the scene on foot.
Pea Ridge Police Department and other law enforcement agencies helped the Sheriff's Office search for the suspect.
It was later determined that the suspect had ties to the Pea Ridge community and potentially was a risk to the public.
As a safety precaution, the Pea Ridge Police Department requested the Pea Ridge School District to lock down the school to ensure the highest level of safety for the school during the search for the suspect.
The lockdown was lifted around 1:15 p.m. and there currently is not an apparent risk to the public or school district.
The suspect is still at large and the Benton County Sheriff's Office will be releasing further information about the investigation when it's made available.
Officers will be in the area of the school zones during dismissal and the end of the day to continue to provide the highest level of security and safety for the students.
"We know this created some alarm and concern, but we wanted to assure everyone that everything is now safe and all law enforcement agencies are working to continue to keep our community and schools safe. Thank you for your patience and understanding," the department wrote on social media.
Please check back for updates to this developing story.