Man facing felony charges after foot chase with police

HOT SPRINGS — A Hot Springs man was arrested on felony charges Wednesday night after police said he fled from Hot Springs officers responding to a burglary while carrying drugs and a weapon.

Donavan Rufus Coates, 32, was taken into custody around 7:15 p.m. and charged with felony counts of weapon possession during a controlled-substance offense, punishable by up to life in prison, possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of fleeing.

Coates was being held without bail and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.

According to a probable-cause affidavit, shortly before 6 p.m., officers Thomas Plummer and Jonathan Smith responded to a residence in the 500 block of Trivista Right after a neighbor called police and stated a woman was seen entering the residence through an open window.

The caller noted the only occupants of the residence were two men, one of whom was in jail.

As Plummer approached the front of the residence, Smith went to the rear where he spotted a man who “took off running” as soon as he saw Smith, fleeing north toward Trivista Left.

After a foot pursuit west and then south on Trivista Left, Smith caught up to Coates near Levin Street and attempted to detain him, the report said, but when he grabbed both arms Coates reportedly began yelling he had a broken arm from a previous accident.

Smith allowed Coates to sit on the curb with his legs crossed as Plummer arrived at the scene. Smith asked Coates why he was running and, police said, he told them he was “tired of being jumped.” He also said he was paranoid because everyone in Hot Springs was out to get him because “I get more [expletive] than them.”

Coates reportedly gave consent to search a backpack he was carrying and his person. He was handcuffed in front to accommodate his injury and upon searching him officers found a large piece of heavy metal chain in his sweatpants pocket.

As the officers were escorting Coates to a car, Smith said he spotted a loaded syringe on the south side of Trivista Left near the curb where Coates had just run through. Coates quickly stated the syringe, which was found to contain 2.4 grams of meth, was not his.

While being transported to the jail, Coates continued stating how paranoid he was of the people in Hot Springs being after him. Police said he stated “we had him for fleeing,” admitting “I did that,” but again claimed none of the items found belonged to him.

Coates was convicted on Dec. 10, of theft of property over $5,000 and sentenced to five years’ probation, fined $500 and ordered to pay $420 in court costs.