Lonsdale man arrested after standoff with ASP on I-40 near West Memphis

A Lonsdale man was arrested Wednesday night following a two-hour standoff with Arkansas State Police and local law enforcement on Interstate 40 in West Memphis, according to an ASP news release on Thursday.

Charles Ray Skinner Jr., 47, who reportedly lists a Lonsdale address, was charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and carrying a weapon and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, parking on a highway and obstructing governmental operations.

Skinner was placed into custody by a Crittenden County law enforcement special response team and turned over to state troopers, who transported Skinner to the Crittenden County Jail.

The incident was initially reported to Arkansas State Police shortly after 6:30 p.m., when motorists traveling through West Memphis on I-40 encountered a vehicle parked in the westbound lane causing traffic to be blocked near the 279 mile marker, the release said.

The driver was said to be armed with a pistol and had allegedly pointed the gun at other drivers who had exited their vehicles following a minor traffic crash.

After state troopers and local law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, east and westbound traffic was blocked as a safety precaution. Repeated orders from officers directed to Skinner to exit the vehicle were reportedly ignored, leading state police to request a Crittenden County armored vehicle and special response team to be called to the scene.

The armored truck approached Skinner’s vehicle and officers “directed irritant gas into the car,” causing Skinner to exit and surrender.

The highway was reopened to traffic at approximately 8:30 p.m., the release said.

According to court records, Skinner lists no prior criminal history.