2 arrested, Northwest Arkansas officer injured following chase, crash

Police lights are shown in this file photo.
Police lights are shown in this file photo.

Two people have been arrested and a police officer is recovering Friday morning following a chase in Northwest Arkansas the previous night, authorities said.

The pursuit began when a driver in Tontitown refused to comply with a traffic stop on a vehicle at about 10 p.m. Thursday, a news release by the city's police department states. Instead, the vehicle fled, with officers in pursuit, according to the release.

One officer received minor injuries to his arm during the ensuing pursuit, after the officer’s cruiser was involved in a crash, Capt. Wes Hart, a spokesman for the department, said. That officer was taken to Northwest Medical Center in Springdale and was later released, according to Hart.

Authorities said the chase lasted over 30 minutes before a Tontitown officer stopped the vehicle on Viney Grove Road near Goose Creek. Two people were arrested following the pursuit, police said: Frankie Deckard, 38, of Bentonville, and Rachael High, 42, of Jonesboro.

Deckard and High were booked into the Washington County jail, authorities said. Neither was listed in the jail’s online roster Friday morning. According to the release, the two face charges that include felony fleeing, second-degree battery, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance and financial identity fraud.

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