Baxter County’s high-speed motorcycle chase ends here with crash into officers’ vehicle
Logan Johnson, 27, of Harrison, Arkansas, was arraigned in Ozark County Tuesday in a case in which he’s charged with resisting arrest by fleeing - creating a substantial risk of injury or death to any person. He also faces charges in Arkansas.
According to the probable cause statement prepared by Deputy Josh Sherman, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, he was notified by dispatch of a motorcycle pursuit coming into Ozark County from Baxter County, Arkansas, from Highway 5.
Sherman joined the pursuit with officers attempting to “box in” the suspect vehicle; however, the motorcycle was able to negotiate his way out of the formations. The driver led officers east on Highway 160 in Gainesville, then turned around and headed west toward Theodosia. The motorcycle was traveling at speeds nearing 80 miles an hour in the 55 mile per hour zone.
The speed of the pursuit dropped dramatically as officers’ noticed fluids leaking from the bike.
“Lt. Rhoades was on Highway 160 and positioned his vehicle in a manner that caused a box method with my patrol vehicle on the opposite side. I attempted to use my patrol vehicle to get in front of Logan to slow his rate of speed...Logan struck my vehicle on the front driver’s side fender and proceeded to drive the blue motorcycle off Highway 160 into a fence,” Sherman wrote. The suspect cleared the fence and fled on foot into a nearby field, where he was located and apprehended a short time later. There were no serious injuries. Johnson is currently supervised by Arkansas Probation and Parole.