Sheriff Roberts shares details of pursuit, shooting
Union County Sheriff Ricky Roberts gave a detailed account on Wednesday afternoon of Tuesday’s pursuit on Hwy. 82, expanding the account offered by a previously-released Arkansas State Police press release.
According to the ASP’s release, 20-year-old El Dorado resident Kyle Schroder was arrested after leading a deputy in a pursuit in a stolen vehicle, “[overpowering] the deputy and taking their patrol vehicle.”
Roberts said the situation began when the El Dorado Police Department notified the Sheriff’s Office of a stolen vehicle last seen on 19th Street.
“The deputy was on the west side of town, picked the vehicle up and pursued it,” Roberts said. The chase proceeded from Lisbon Road to Lynn Fite Road, eventually emerging on Highway 82.
The suspect then lost control of the vehicle and veered across Highway 82, striking a fence, a tree and another object in a residential yard before coming to a stop.
The suspect then ran from the car, according to Roberts, ignoring the deputy’s orders to stop. The deputy caught up to the suspect on foot several times, and each time the suspect was able to escape.
“At one point the deputy attempted to employ their TASER but it did not connect,” Roberts said.
Following these altercations, Schroder ran back towards Hwy. 82 and entered the deputy’s vehicle.
“The deputy was yelling ‘get out of my vehicle,’ knowing there was an AR-15 lying on the passenger seat. The deputy, knowing the weapon was there, saw the suspect look like he was going for it and fired one time,” Roberts said.
Schroder, as previously reported in the ASP release, was not hit.
The suspect then fled the scene in the deputy’s vehicle.
According to Roberts, the suspect drove east for approximately half a mile with the police unit’s lights still on before leaving the Hwy. 82, driving through a pipe gate and proceeding down a gravel road for a mile or more.
The suspect then allegedly turned from the gravel road onto a logging road and “into the woods for about 150 yards,” according to Roberts.
He then left the police vehicle “still running, still in drive and with the lights stilll on,” and proceeded into the woods on foot.
From that point, a search ensued that continued until approximately 3:30 p.m., when an EPD officer made contact with Schroder on Parnell Road.
According to Roberts, law enforcement officers had informed residents in the area of the situation earlier in the day.
A Parnell Road resident was able to confront Schroder after seeing the suspect in their yard, holding him at gunpoint until officers arrived to arrest him, Roberts said.
Roberts said the suspect “ran out of his shoes” at some point in the pursuit, and was wearing only shorts when captured.
Schroder suffered a few minor injuries accrued mostly during his run through the woods, according to Roberts, and was checked by the medical team at the Sheriff’s Office. The deputy, who has not yet been named by any agency, checked into the emergency room for treatment for a back injury and a head laceration, Roberts said.
Schroder made his first court appearance Wednesday morning and is due back in court at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Roberts said Schroder was wanted on several charges prior to this incident and now faces new charges including aggravated assault, second-degree battery, theft of property, fleeing and resisting arrest, among others.
“Mr. Shroder had plenty of opportunity to obey the commands of the officer and peacefully end it. That’s the message we want to send, when an officer tells you to stop, ‘you’re under arrest,’ do as he says. Let’s not fight on the highway, let’s fight in the court; let’s be able to walk away and go home that night. If the officer is wrong in the arrest, you have other avenues. You can go to court, sue him or sue the department. It’s not worth it to lose anyone’s life, whether a police officer or someone stealing a car or anything else,” Roberts said.
Roberts went on to say there is some amount of video footage of the incident that will be reviewed by both his department and state police.
According to the ASP press release, “Special agents of the ASP Criminal Investigation Division will submit an investigative file to the local Prosecuting Attorney for their use in determining whether the deadly force use by the deputy was consistent with state law.”
Roberts said his department will also conduct an internal review.
“[The review board] will go over our policies to see if it was within our guidelines. We will also review our training, and look at other things, such as the security of our equipment, and make sure we’re where we need to be. We want to see what we can learn to better protect our officers and the public as well,” Roberts said.
Roberts extended thanks to the El Dorado and Smackover Police Departments in addition to the ASP for assistance.