Moments before his trial was to begin at the Saline County Courthouse, Daniel Jackson, of Little Rock, entered guilty pleas to fleeing, felon in possession of a firearm, and failure to appear. Judge Josh Farmer accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Jackson to 20 years of imprisonment at the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
On December 6, 2020, then Bryant Police Officer Austin Kennedy attempted to stop Jackson for a traffic violation. Kennedy spotted Jackson at the 122 mile maker on Interstate 30. Jackson was driving a Chrysler 300. After Kennedy turned on his blue lights, Jackson fled at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Jackson later reached speeds of 135 miles per hour before taking the 117 exit in Benton.
Jackson attempted to turn onto Heights Road by Papa John’s, but was unable to negotiate the turn due to his speed. Jackson then returned to the Interstate and fled through the construction zone. He lost control of his vehicle after hitting a concrete drain cover at the 113 mile marker.
After his car stopped, Jackson followed officer commands to exit the car. Officers searched the car and found three guns and marijuana. Officers then discovered that Jackson had an arrest warrant for Failure To Appear from Prairie County.
Following his arrest, Jackson failed to appear in court four times. At the time of the plea, he had pending charges in both Prairie and Pulaski Counties for gun and drug possession.
Jackson has prior convictions for fleeing, endangering the welfare of a minor, domestic battery, and drug possession, all from Pulaski County. He had been under probation supervision in Pulaski
County for almost six years.
Prosecuting Attorney Chris Walton thanked the work of now Trooper Kennedy, the Bryant and Benton Police Departments, and the Arkansas State Police. Each agency assisted in capturing Jackson.
Walton commented on a recent Arkansas State Police announcement concerning fleeing and Jackson’s sentence, “Fleeing from officers is dangerous to everyone on the road; drivers, passengers, officers, and the suspect. A fleeing vehicle is like driving a bullet down the road. Fleeing is not a ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card. The legislature has recognized this growing threat and increased penalties for fleeing since Jackson’s 2020 arrest. If you are caught fleeing in Saline County, you should be prepared to accept the consequences.”