Arkansas State Police (ASP) reported that an armed man was slain after leading officers on a high-speed chase across multiple counties.
According to ASP, the chase began Thursday night in Poinsett County, when a deputy from the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop 54-year-old Joe Versie for careless driving.
According to ASP, Versie took off, followed by the Poinsett deputy and Harrisburg Police Department members.
An ASP trooper later joined the pursuit and utilized a PIT technique to crash the man on Interstate 555 near the 3-mile marker. ASP said that Versie’s Kia Sedona crashed in the median and caught fire.
According to ASP, when officers extinguished the flames, Versie defied their directions and moved for the vehicle’s rear doors. Police said Versie told officers he had a weapon, and when he approached it, members of all three agencies fired.
Versie died on the scene. No law enforcement personnel were hurt.
