Two felons arrested in gun-related incidents
Two felons were arrested
Friday in separate incidents involving guns and shots allegedly being fired in the city.
The first incident reportedly occurred shortly after 11:30 a.m. Friday, when Hot Springs police responded to the 100 block of Chapel Street regarding shots fired and spoke to a man who said he had been shot at by a known suspect, identified as Ricky Charles
Johnson, 39, who lives on Chapel Street.
He said he and Johnson had been arguing when Johnson “got very angry,” pulled out a handgun, believed to be a revolver, and fired a shot in his direction but didn’t hit him. A female witness at the scene reportedly corroborated the man’s story.
After Johnson allegedly shot at the man, he went back into his apartment briefly and then left the scene in a vehicle as officers arrived.
Minutes after the shot was fired, officers were notified that Justice Design and Marketing, located at 827 Central Ave., reported having a bullet strike the window of the business, causing an estimated $1,000 to $1,500 in damages.
Officers noted the business was in the direct line of fire from where the victim in the shooting was standing. An employee of the business was reportedly inside the building when the bullet hit.
Johnson was stopped in the 400 block of Ouachita Avenue, a few blocks from the incident, and was later positively identified by the victim as the shooter. No firearm was found in his possession at the time of the traffic stop. The affidavit notes Johnson was convicted of felony drug charges in Union County in 2009.
Johnson was taken into custody and charged with felony counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and two counts of aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of second-degree criminal mischief, punishable by up to one year in jail.
A search warrant for Johnson’s apartment was obtained and the apartment was searched, but no gun was found.
Johnson was being held on a zero bond parole hold and appeared Monday in Garland County District Court.
The second incident reportedly occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. when officers responded to the 1800 block of Hobson Avenue to a call about shots fired and spoke to a man and woman who alleged a known suspect, identified as James David Alan Echols, 28, had fired several shots from the passenger seat of a black Saturn sedan.
The man said Echols resided at 333 Cooper St. and when police went there they found a black Saturn parked in front. When officers went to speak to the homeowner, they saw several males moving around inside. They spoke to the homeowner who told them Echols was inside and gave them permission to come in.
Officers reportedly located Echols lying on a mattress in a bedroom and took him into custody on warrants for failure to appear and harassment. In searching the room the officers allegedly found a small box on the bed near Echols that contained a .38 special revolver. They noted the gun was “hot to the touch” and contained three spent cartridges.
The homeowner allegedly told the officers he was driving the Saturn earlier with Echols as a passenger and as they passed the 1800 block of Hobson turning up Mason Street Echols “leaned his arm out of the window” and shot a firearm several times.
Officers reportedly searched the Saturn and found a marijuana cigarette “pushed near the bottom trim” of the car near where Echols had been sitting. It was determined Echols was previously convicted of a felony in Garland County in 2011.
Echols was charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to six years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of discharging a firearm in the city limits and possession of a controlled substance, marijuana.
Echols was being held on $7,000 bond and appeared Monday in Garland County District Court.