Fulton police engage downtown chase Friday

Suspect fled from police and MUSTANG before narcotics search of home

Fulton police haul away a car damaged in a chase through downtown Friday afternoon.
Fulton police haul away a car damaged in a chase through downtown Friday afternoon.

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AP

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/JEFF MITCHELL -- 03-01-10 -- Roony House, an employee of Roberts McNutt, sprays water on the facade of the Women's City Club as a way of testing the recently applied waterproofing on the masonry. The compnay recently completed waterproofing the historic structure, which houses the Junior League of Little Rock.

Fulton police arrested a 25-year-old man they considered armed and dangerous that led police on a vehicle pursuit downtown, resulting in a foot chase to a nearby apartment.

Maj. Roger Rice with the Fulton Police Department (FPD) told the Fulton Sun that police were assisting the MUSTANG Drug Task Force with executing a narcotics search warrant at 307 Nichols St. at about 2:06 p.m. Friday when the suspect and resident of the home, Charles A. Pearl, fled in a vehicle and headed south on Ravine Street.

Rice said they considered Pearl dangerous after receiving information he had two active felony warrants in Boone County.

"As we approached the house, the suspect got in his vehicle and took off, so we ended up in a pursuit with this vehicle through the downtown area," Rice said.

Police located Pearl in the vehicle and attempted to pull him over, but he failed to yield to officers, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. According to a FPD press release received after the Sun's initial coverage of the incident, patrol units pursued the vehicle through downtown traffic at speeds exceeding 50 mph.

Pearl led police on a chase southbound on Court Street before hitting a Fulton patrol vehicle, along with two other parked vehicles, causing minimal damage. The collision disabled Pearl's vehicle near Third and Court streets, prompting him to flee on-foot across the highway to an apartment located at 300 Market St.

"The officers were right behind him and were able to catch him and apprehend him and at that point, bring him into custody," Rice said.

The two active warrants from Boone County include failure to appear on a felony charge of possession of a firearm, with bond set at $5,000, and failure to appear on a felony charge of possession of marijuana, with bond set at $2,500, Rice said.

"Obviously he was not a guy - well - he's the guy we needed to get off the street," Rice said about Pearl's felony warrants in the neighboring county.

In addition, Rice said Pearl will face several charges in Callaway County, including failure to yield to a law enforcement vehicle, felony resisting arrest by flight, careless and imprudent driving, two counts of felony assault on law enforcement officers, three counts of property damage, two felony counts of leaving the scene of motor vehicle accident and endangering the welfare of a 2-year-old child. The total bond for these multiple charges was set at $75,000 cash-only.

The Sun asked Rice about the child's connection to the suspect and the incident, and he said the girl was inside the suspect's vehicle when he initially fled from police. According to the press release, the child was abandoned in the vehicle when Pearl fled from his car on-foot. Rice also said the girl was not hurt, and she has since been reunited with her mother.

"She (the girl) seemed fine," Rice said.

He said Pearl's charges for Friday's incidents may change, and additional charges may be pending upon further investigation.

Pearl is being held at the Fulton Police Department.

Update: In the previously published version of this story online, it was incorrectly stated that the child endangered was a 2-year-old boy, according to an interview with Maj. Rice before the press release was received. The Fulton Sun has since verified with Rice that the child in danger was a 2-year-old female. The story has been updated to reflect these changes.