PRAIRIE GROVE -- U.S. Highway 62 was closed for more than four hours Monday morning while police negotiated with a suspect who would not relinquish his gun to law enforcement, according to Capt. Jeff O'Brien with Prairie Grove Police Department.
O'Brien said Braden Collins, 23, of Springdale, was taken into custody about 7:30 a.m. Monday and taken to Fayetteville Police Department for questioning.
According to a Prairie Grove probable cause report, Collins has been arrested in connection with two counts of aggravated assault, criminal mischief and possession of of a firearm by certain persons, all felonies, and misdemeanor reckless driving.
According to the Washington County Detention Center's website, other charges are theft of property from Fayetteville Police Department, and fleeing, driving on suspended license, speeding and aggravated assault by Farmington Police Department.
O'Brien said Collins, driving what was suspected to be a stolen Ford Fusion, led the University of Arkansas police on a high-speed pursuit through Farmington toward Prairie Grove about 2:30 a.m. Monday.
Prairie Grove put out road spikes in the westbound lane of traffic to damage the vehicle's tires. According to the incident report, the on the scene officer immediately heard the tires start to deflate when the vehicle struck the spikes.
The report said the vehicle continued westbound at about 80 mph in the wrong lane of travel. The driver then began to lose control, and the vehicle swerved all over the road. The vehicle hit the side of a house and a Honda Civic on the west side of the U.S. 62, pulled back into the highway and then "deliberately" tried to hit a Farmington police vehicle and Prairie Grove patrol unit. The vehicle then went through the east side ditch and into the front yard of 2829 E. Heritage Parkway. It came to a complete stop there because of damage to the car.
The report said Collins refused to show his hands to police officers and then pointed a small handgun to his forehead and warned that he would kill himself or make police officers kill him. Officers then backed away.
Fayetteville's crisis negotiation team talked with the suspect for about four hours and finally was able to get Collins to put down the gun and exit the vehicle peacefully, according to the report.
During the standoff, police closed down part of U.S. 62 and diverted traffic toward Farmington onto Arkansas Highway 170.
Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including Prairie Grove, Farmington, Lincoln, Johnson and Fayetteville police departments, along with Washington County Sheriff's Office. Central EMS and Prairie Grove and Farmington fire departments also were on the scene.
