Officer Chris Rankin

Public Information Officer

903-798-3187 (office) 903-260-0294 (pager)

903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)

Texarkana Arkansas Police Badge

Re: Officers Assaulted/ Suspect Arrested

On 10-1-06 at 12:30am Texarkana Arkansas Police officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at the LaQuinta Inn at 5102 N. State Line. The desk clerk advised officer Shane Kirkland that an unknown black male had entered the hotel and asked about renting a room. The suspect did not rent a room, but instead left the front desk area and began continuously riding the elevator up and down. When the officer Kirkland located the suspect, he was still in the elevator and was wearing only a white t-shirt and white boxer shorts. The suspect was holding a small metallic object in his hand that is believed to be a crack pipe.

As officer Kirkland attempted to remove the suspect from the elevator the suspect immediately began violently resisting. The officer pepper sprayed the suspect and this had no effect. The suspect managed to break away from the officer and close the elevator door. This began a lengthy foot chase throughout the hotel during which time several officers attempted to catch up to the suspect by accessing the stairwells in order to go from floor to floor.

At some point, the suspect pulled the second floor fire alarm which prompted several of the hotel guests to exit their rooms. Upon doing so, the suspect forced one of the hotel guests out of the way and entered his room. The suspect immediately began destroying room furniture and barricading himself into the room. Several attempts were made to reason with the suspect, but he was not responsive to any requests to exit the room. Eventually a battering ram was used to access the room and it was then that the suspect became the most violent.

At first the suspect could be seen by witnesses on the ground, as well as other officers, attempting to jump through the glass in the second floor room. His second attempt at breaking the glass was unsuccessful and it was then that he turned on the officers. The suspect began fighting with officers who had exhausted all efforts to subdue him. The suspect had sustained being pepper sprayed as well as several baton strikes from officers, each of which reportedly had no effect whatsoever on the suspect. Eventually officers were able to use enough body weight to subdue the suspect long enough to handcuff him. The suspect was taken by LifeNet to St. Michaels hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was later released and jailed at the Bi-State Center. It is unknown what type of susbstance the suspect may have been under the influence of.

Several patrol officers sustained minor cuts and abrasions while attempting to subdue the suspect. Officers Wayne Easley, Shane Kirkland, and Sgt. Keith Barr were listed as victims of Battery 2nd on the offense report.

The suspect was eventually identified as Carl Henry (b/m/35/ 6'00'' 260lbs. Little Rock, AR). He is being held on charges of Burglary, Fleeing, Resisting Arrest, Battery 2nd, and Criminal Mischief. No bond has been set at this time.

Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.