A Benton man led officers with the Benton Police Department on a vehicle pursuit, but due to previously handing over a driver’s license, the man was arrested the following day. At approximately 1:15 a.m. Thursday, April 13, officers stopped a vehicle on East Street for not stopping at a stop sign on Narroway Street.
During the traffic stop, officers noted the strong odor of intoxicants inside the vehicle and a bottle of whiskey was visible in the passenger’s seat. The driver, later identified as Brian Anthony Warwick, age 30, was noticed to have slurred and incoherent speech along with glassy eyes and dilated pupils. After handing over a driver’s license, Warwick was asked to step out of the vehicle, but he refused multiple times.
When an officer attempted to open the driver side door, Warwick reportedly pulled it back shut and rolled up the window. Warwick then reportedly accelerated at a high rate of speed from the traffic stop. During the pursuit, the vehicle Warwick was driving struck a sign at Interstate 30, exit 114 and left the roadway, but then recovered and continued to flee. The pursuit ended after a police vehicle was damaged after it slid off the roadway and struck a culvert.
Warwick was taken into custody and transported to the Saline County Detention Center the following day (Friday, April 14). He faces charges of:
- DWI,
- Running a Stop Sign,
- Obstructing Government Operations,
- Fleeing (felony),
- Driving Without Headlights to Avoid Apprehension,
- Resisting Arrest,
- Refusal to Submit to Arrest,
- two felony counts of Damage to Property,
- two misdemeanor counts of Damage to Property, and
- three counts of Leaving the Scene of An Accident.
Anyone with information about the suspect, the incident, or similar incidents, is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send an anonymous crime tip about this incident to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip. A crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on ITunes and Google Play.
Any suspects listed are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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