Allegedly intoxicated driver flees, stunned with Taser before arrest
A reportedly intoxicated driver was arrested on multiple charges late Tuesday after allegedly fleeing from Hot Springs police in his vehicle and on foot before being stunned with a Taser and taken into custody.
Cory Jonathon Canals, 30, who lists a Westhill Lane address, was taken into custody shortly before 10 p.m. and charged with driving while intoxicated, his third offense, fleeing in a vehicle, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, careless and prohibited driving, no liability insurance, driving on a suspended license and refusal to submit to testing.
Canals was being held on bonds totaling $3,000 and was set to appear Wednesday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, officers Chris Chapin and Taylor Gates responded to the 100 block of Crocus Street regarding a hit-and-run collision that had just occurred involving a silver Chevrolet Silverado.
Chapin was patrolling in the area of Albert Pike and North Mission Street when he spotted a truck matching the description cutting through the parking lot of Car-Mart of Hot Springs, 1604 Albert Pike, before turning onto North Mission headed toward Hobson Avenue at a high rate of speed.
The officer attempted a traffic stop at North Mission and Crocus, but the driver, later identified as Canals, allegedly refused to stop. Gates reportedly had to yell at the victims from the hit-and-run to get out of the street to avoid being hit by the fleeing suspect as he came back through.
Canals reportedly attempted to jump out of the still-moving truck at the corner of North Mission and Hobson, but Chapin blocked the driver’s door from opening with his patrol car and Canals sped away again. He attempted to turn east onto Crocus again, nearly missing a fire hydrant and driving through the yards of nearby houses, before turning onto Poinsettia.
He continued to Hobson and then Pringle Street where he pulled into the parking lot of Temple Baptist Church, 427 Pringle, where he allegedly attempted to flee on foot. Chapin deployed his Taser, firing one cartridge at Canals, striking him in the stomach area and at his belt line.
Following a five-second discharge, Canals fell to the ground and was taken into custody without further incident. Chapin noted the pursuit lasted about nine minutes and covered two residential blocks multiple times, with speeds up to 40 mph.
Gates said he noted a strong odor of intoxicants coming from Canals and that his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred. While searching the truck, he reportedly found an open and half-empty container of beer and an open and partially empty bottle of whiskey.
Once at the detention center, Canals reportedly submitted to field sobriety tests and failed all three. He refused to provide a breath sample. A computer check revealed he was previously convicted of DWI on March 19, 2015, in Glenwood and on March 19, 2019, in Murfreesboro.