A Luxora man was arrested after Arkansas State Police reported he resisted arrest and allegedly attempted to grab a trooper’s firearm during a traffic stop near Burdette on Aug. 27.

According to an ASP news release, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. when a blue Chevrolet Equinox was pulled over for a traffic violation on Interstate 55 near the 56-mile marker. The trooper sought to detain the driver, identified as 36-year-old Pedro Gonzalez of Luxora, due to a detainer issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Officials say Gonzalez resisted the trooper’s commands and struggled during the attempted arrest. During the altercation, Gonzalez allegedly reached for the officer’s firearm. While the trooper was engaged with Gonzalez, two passengers fled into a nearby wooded area. Gonzalez also managed to escape custody and fled the scene. The trooper was not injured.

A search operation was launched with assistance from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, Blytheville and Osceola police departments, ASP Criminal Investigation Division agents, ASP Air 4, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Arkansas Department of Corrections. All three individuals were located approximately 200 yards from the traffic stop, hiding near a ditch embankment.

Gonzalez was subsequently treated for injuries at a Little Rock hospital before being transported to the Mississippi County Detention Center. He faces charges including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing, resisting arrest, no proof of insurance, and no driver’s license.

The two passengers, identified as 38-year-old Hermelinda Perez Hernandez and 39-year-old Bersaino Gonzalez, both from Mexico, were also arrested. Hernandez was charged with obstruction and fleeing, while Gonzalez was charged with fleeing.

This arrest follows a month marked by multiple violent encounters involving law enforcement in Mississippi County. On Aug. 1, a traffic stop near Manila led to a controversial arrest captured on dash camera, with the trooper’s actions prompting a civil rights lawsuit. Later in the month, body camera footage of a high-speed chase on Highway 18 drew criticism from local leaders over officers’ use of force.

Authorities continue investigations into these cases.