A Savannah, Georgia man was arrested on August 19 along Interstate 40 in Prairie County, Arkansas, after authorities say he caused a disturbance aboard a Jefferson Lines bus and resisted arrest during a roadside confrontation.
According to an Arkansas State Police incident report, troopers responded to a radio call shortly after 10 a.m. regarding a disruptive passenger. Trooper Cody Groves located the bus on the westbound shoulder of I-40 near mile marker 203 and initially observed the man, identified as Antwuan L. Bannister, walking toward the median before crossing a cable barrier onto the eastbound shoulder.
The bus driver told Groves that Bannister had approached her while she was driving and demanded that she stop the vehicle. She also reported that Bannister attempted to press the bus’s brake and gas pedals himself and became involved in a confrontation with another passenger. No injuries were reported from the bus, according to Groves.
A second trooper, identified as Trooper Means, arrived at the scene and tried to make contact with Bannister, who was walking along the narrow inside shoulder of westbound I-40. Bannister reportedly ignored repeated commands to stop, prompting the troopers to try to detain him for safety concerns and due to the earlier disturbance on the bus.
The report details a struggle in which Bannister allegedly spun away from the troopers and attempted to evade them. Trooper Groves used an "arm-control hold," described as a Kimura, to help secure Bannister's right arm, while Trooper Means held him on the ground. Bannister was handcuffed after complying with instructions to place his left arm behind his back. During the struggle, a fixed-blade knife reportedly fell from Bannister’s person.
Following the arrest, Groves reported that Bannister resisted being placed inside a patrol vehicle and attempted to walk away. Officers from Hazen Police assisted in finally securing him in the vehicle. The report also states that Bannister kicked at the vehicle's rear windows during transport to the Prairie County Jail and refused to cooperate upon arrival by declining to identify himself or sit for a booking photograph.
Authorities recovered approximately 2 grams of suspected marijuana during the arrest, according to the report. Groves noted that Bannister did not have visible injuries and declined medical attention.
Bannister faces multiple charges including obstructing governmental operations, disorderly conduct, carrying a weapon, walking on a controlled-access highway, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance under 4 ounces, refusing to submit to arrest, and second-degree criminal mischief.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.