Fleeing man gets 40 years in death of accomplice; crash on I-40 ramp during pursuit ejected passenger

Robert Rashaud Blake
Robert Rashaud Blake

A Little Rock man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the death of his accomplice who was killed in a vehicle wreck as the two men fled from police after an armed robbery in Pope County.

Robert Blake, 21, entered guilty pleas in Pope County Circuit Court to felony negligent homicide, reduced from first-degree murder, and to aggravated robbery.

Court records showed Circuit Judge William Pearson sentenced Blake to 20 years on each count to be served consecutively. Pearson gave Blake credit for 537 days spent in jail before his plea June 26, the day he was to have gone on trial.

Blake was sentenced for the death of Mashaud Richardson, 20, of Little Rock. Police said he was ejected from a pickup Blake was driving that overturned at high speed on an Interstate 40 ramp during a chase with Russellville police.

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According to the criminal complaint for first-degree murder, Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons wrote that in the course of committing and fleeing from the aggravated robbery, Blake caused Richardson's death.

Police said that on Jan. 6, 2016, the owner of a Nissan pickup was driving on U.S. 64 near Exit 78, the westernmost Russellville exit, when he was flagged down by two men standing next to a car, which turned out to be stolen, on the side of the road.

When he stopped to offer help, the men held him at gunpoint, took his wallet and the pickup and drove away. The man was not hurt.

Two Russellville police officers stationed on U.S. 64 at Exit 81 of the interstate were alerted to the carjacking and saw the pickup pass by. They chased the pickup and attempted to make a traffic stop.

The pickup traveled onto the interstate and fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. Minutes later, the driver of the pickup tried to get off the interstate at Exit 84.

Blake lost control of the pickup, which overturned on the exit ramp and ejected Richardson. Richardson was transported to Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock where he died.

Blake ran from the scene but was caught and arrested.

State Desk on 07/04/2017

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