A Paragould man has been sentenced to three years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a high-speed chase through a residential neighborhood earlier this year.
Antreze Knowles, 25, pleaded guilty to fleeing and aggravated assault, both classified as Class D felonies. Circuit Judge Randy Philhours sentenced him Tuesday to 36 months of probation for each charge. According to court documents, he is also required to pay all associated court costs, fees, and fines.
The incident occurred on July 7 when Paragould police officers attempted to stop Knowles for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and for driving with a broken taillight, according to an affidavit by Cpl. Tron Beesley.
“When officers activated their emergency lights and siren to conduct the traffic stop, the vehicle continued fleeing at a high rate of speed,” Beesley wrote. Officers reported the vehicle reached speeds of up to 100 mph in a 30 mph zone within a residential area.
During the pursuit, court records state that Knowles drove dangerously close to two children walking along the roadway. He also allegedly veered into the wrong lane toward an oncoming police vehicle, appearing to initiate a head-on collision before returning to his lane.
Police eventually stopped the vehicle, and Knowles was taken into custody. In a post-arrest interview, officers said Knowles admitted to fleeing, stating he was scared and acknowledging that he was driving with a suspended license.
Charges regarding other alleged offenses, including violations of traffic signals and reckless driving, were not pursued as part of the plea agreement.