Suspect who allegedly fled in August arrested during traffic stop Monday
A local man who allegedly fled from Garland County sheriff’s deputies in August was arrested on multiple charges after a traffic stop early Monday.
David Earl Cannon III, 37, who lists a Hudzel Street address, was taken into custody shortly before 6 a. m. and charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, and misdemeanor counts of obstructing government operations and disorderly conduct stemming from the traffic stop.
Cannon was also arrested on a felony warrant for nonsupport, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and a misdemeanor warrant for fleeing on foot stemming from the incident in August. Cannon was being held on a zero bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 5: 30 a.m. Monday, Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Hampton spotted a white Dodge Ram pickup occupied by two people that matched the description of one reported stolen on Sunday and stopped it on the King Expressway just past the Airport Road exit.
Hampton approached the passenger side of the truck after noting the passenger was displaying “extremely erratic behavior” and was constantly moving inside the vehicle. Upon contact with the passenger, later identified as Cannon, he told Hampton “get that (expletive) light out of my eyes.”
When asked for his driver’s license or ID, Cannon allegedly told him, “Do your job,” and refused to provide any. He reportedly continued to be verbally combative and refused to answer even simple questions. When asked to step out, he refused and then “hurriedly went out of the driver’s side door” into the highway with other vehicles passing.
He was finally detained since he was “creating a danger to himself and deputies on the expressway,” and placed into Hampton’s unit. While searching for money in the area at Cannon’s request, Hampton allegedly found a punctured light bulb that contained 1 gram of what later tested positive for meth.
The passenger was taken into custody and once at the detention center was positively identified as Cannon from his fingerprints.
According to the affidavit on the fleeing warrant, on Aug. 20, shortly after noon, deputies stopped a black Chrysler 300 in the 2200 block of Malvern Avenue for having windows tinted too dark. As the vehicle pulled into a parking lot and stopped, one male passenger jumped out and fled on foot into the woods.
Initially, the driver claimed he didn’t know the identity of the male passenger who fled, but when deputies “explained the consequences” of lying about it, he reportedly admitted it was David Cannon and that he didn’t know he was going to flee.
A computer check on Cannon revealed he had a felony warrant for nonsupport out of Garland County. The driver was released on a citation for improper window tint and a female passenger was released with no charges. A warrant for fleeing was later issued for Cannon.