A Friday night gunfire incident escalated into a high-speed police chase through Texarkana streets, ending in a crash and a manhunt for the fleeing suspect.
Just after dark on May 30, the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department received multiple reports of shots fired near East 35th Street and County Avenue. Fortunately, two members of the department’s Crime Suppression/Project Safe Neighborhood Unit — Sgt. Phillips and Detective Thornell — were already patrolling the area.
While responding to the call, the officers spotted a vehicle linked to a recent shooting incident. When they attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver refused to stop, triggering a high-speed pursuit across town. The chase came to a halt when the suspect lost control and crashed into a fence on Jefferson Avenue.
Both occupants of the vehicle fled the scene on foot and managed to evade capture. However, police were able to quickly identify the driver as Gary Nichols. A felony warrant has since been issued for Nichols, who is now wanted for fleeing by vehicle with risk of serious injury or death.
“The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department maintains a zero-tolerance policy for violent crimes in our community,” officials said in a statement. “Our officers and detectives are committed to identifying those responsible and stopping the violence through proactive enforcement and thorough investigations.”
Anyone with information on Gary Nichols’ whereabouts is urged to contact the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
