Gunshots lead to arrest of two felons on multiple charges
Gunshots heard by a Hot
Springs police officer Sunday afternoon led to the arrests of two local felons on multiple charges involving drugs and guns.
Jacob Washington Nooner,
27, who lists a Highland Street address, and Joshua Martel
Bowie, 26, who lists a Morrison Street address, were taken into custody shortly after
4 p.m. and each charged with felony counts of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, two counts of possession of firearms by certain persons, theft by receiving of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance, involving
pills, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance involving marijuana.
They were each held overnight on zero bond and were set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 3:30 p.m., HSPD Officer Jason Greene was doing a welfare check in the 1600 block of West Grand Avenue when he heard two gunshots in rapid succession one to two blocks south of his location in the area of Rector and Garland streets.
Sgt. LeeAnn Zaner was westbound on Rector looking for any vehicles fleeing the area and at Rector and Third streets she saw a tan Chevrolet Tahoe pulled over on the side of the road and a drink bottle being thrown from the passenger window.
When the passenger, later identified as Nooner, saw Zaner, he got out and retrieved the bottle. Zaner recognized Nooner and also recognized the driver, identified as Bowie, and knew both were felons on parole with search waivers on file. It was also determined both men had warrants for failure to pay.
The vehicle drove down Third Street with Zaner in pursuit, then turned onto Roosevelt Street where it stopped and Bowie got out and walked toward her unit. She could no longer see Nooner, so she waited for backup to arrive.
At that point, she saw Nooner walking from behind a residence in the 100 block of Roosevelt. As other officers arrived, Zaner walked over to the Tahoe and reportedly saw a Glock 9-mm handgun in plain view in the cup holder. The gun was later determined to have been reported stolen to the Garland County Sheriff’s Department.
The keys to the vehicle were found in Nooner’s pocket and both men were taken into custody on their warrants.
An AR-15 rifle was also found in plain view in the passenger floorboard propped against the passenger seat. An unmarked bottle of pills was found in the driver’s side door panel which contained hydrocodone and Xanax.
Under the gun, in the center console, officers found a cigar package that contained 1.5 grams of marijuana, which Bowie reportedly admitted belonged to him.
Officers reportedly found two spent 9-mm cartridge casings in the roadway near Garland and North Patterson streets. It was noted four bullets were missing from the magazine of the 9-mm recovered from the Tahoe.
The affidavit notes Nooner was previously convicted of felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent, theft by receiving of a firearm and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms in April 2016. Bowie was previously convicted of a felony count of distribution of meth in 2017 in federal court.