Gunfire leads to man’s arrest on multiple felony drug charges
Multiple gunshots being fired led to the arrest of a local felon on numerous felony charges late Wednesday after a large amount of drugs and a loaded gun were reportedly found in his possession.
Christopher Wes Hambrick, 35, who lists a Weston Road address, was taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m. and charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, punishable by up to life in pris- on, possession of meth with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 30 years, possession of a firearm by certain persons, unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to 20 years, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Hambrick, who had multiple prior felony convictions involving drugs from 2011 and 2015, remained in custody Thursday on zero bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, at around 9 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Richard Davis was patrolling in the area of Valley and West Belding streets when he heard four gunshots coming from the direction of West Belding and Gaines Street. He drove that direction and heard six more shots “moving toward the area of Lincoln and Clay streets.”
As he approached Lincoln Street, Davis observed a silver Honda Accord stopped at the intersection of Lincoln and Clay streets and then heard two more shots coming from the direction of the Honda, which suddenly sped away.
Davis attempted to catch up to the car as it turned on Clay and then onto Williams Street and then proceeded to drive “at a high rate of speed” through the parking lot at 1544 Malvern Ave. as Davis activated
his lights. The car continued on Malvern toward Grand and then turned onto Blake Street where it finally stopped in the 200 block.
Davis had checked the license plate and determined the registered owner of the vehicle had multiple felony warrants, so he took the driver, identified as Hambrick, into custody. Hambrick was not the owner, but he had a warrant for failure to comply.
In clearing the vehicle to see if anyone else was inside, officers found a bag of suspected marijuana, 2 grams, in the center console and a loaded 9-mm under the driver’s seat. Next to the driver’s seat was a plastic bag containing several baggies, a digital scale and a bag with 29.9 grams of what later tested positive for meth.
A box of 9-mm ammunition was also found in the center console. In addition to the multiple felony charges, Hambrick was also cited for careless and prohibited driving.