Two men were arrested following a high-speed chase that began on Highway 18 and ended in Blytheville, Arkansas, on August 19. The pursuit and subsequent arrests, captured on body camera footage, have drawn scrutiny toward police use of force.
According to an incident report, Arkansas State Police Trooper Teddy Henderson initiated the chase at around 11:21 p.m. after he detected a vehicle driving 82 mph in a 60 mph zone near the Big Lake bridge on Highway 18. When Trooper Henderson attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver accelerated to speeds up to 130 mph, heading west toward Dell. Other local law enforcement agencies, including Mississippi County Sheriff's deputies and Blytheville police, were notified and set up spike strips on Highway 18.
Despite hitting the spike strips, the vehicle continued at high speed, prompting Henderson to employ a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) technique. While the initial TVI attempt was unsuccessful, a second attempt brought the vehicle to a stop on North 16th Street in Blytheville.
The driver, identified as Adonerus Johnson, attempted to flee but was subdued by officers after they deployed a Taser. Johnson was arrested at the scene and later tested for a blood alcohol level of 0.17, over double the legal limit of 0.08. He has been charged with fleeing, reckless driving, driving under the influence, and other traffic violations.
One passenger, identified as Tedrick Washington, was ordered to exit the vehicle but did not immediately comply. According to Henderson’s report, he broke the vehicle’s window to create an exit path. Washington allegedly refused multiple commands to leave, resisted being pulled from the vehicle, and appeared to prepare to strike an officer, leading Henderson to strike him once in the face. Officers ultimately removed Washington from the car and handcuffed him after a struggle. Washington has been charged with obstruction of governmental operations and resisting arrest.
A second passenger complied with police commands, was detained, and later released without charges.
Body camera footage of the encounter has been widely circulated on social media, generating questions about the officers' actions during Washington’s arrest. Washington is known for playing NCAA basketball at several colleges, including Southeast Missouri State University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Officials have begun responding to the footage. In a statement, Blytheville Mayor Melisa Logan expressed concern over the video, confirming that Blytheville officers were present but not directly involved in the events depicted. She affirmed the city’s cooperation with an active review by state authorities and emphasized the importance of transparency.
The Gosnell Police Department said in its assessment that officers acted within policy and no rights were violated during the incident. State officials, however, are conducting further investigations.
The incident has drawn statements from advocacy groups and political leaders. Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Marcus Jones raised concerns about potential excessive force, citing this and a separate Mississippi County traffic stop that involved alleged physical misconduct. Tonya Floyd Chambers, Co-Chair of the Arkansas State Conference NAACP Legal Redress Committee, called for accountability and independent oversight in cases of alleged police brutality.
The Mississippi County Republican Party had not commented as of publication. Updates will follow as state authorities continue their review.