Four men were arrested following an armed, home invasion-style burglary at a Taylor Road residence late Friday, Jan. 21.
Circuit Judge Jodi Dennis ruled Monday that the prosecuting attorney had probable cause to charge the quartet with aggravated residential burglary, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of committing a terroristic act.
Dennis set $500,000 cash-only bonds for Tommy Archer, Ronald Davis, Justin Martin and Timothy Smith. Davis and Smith are both 20. Archer is 22 and Martin is 19. Additionally, Smith was wanted on a failure to appear warrant issued last year when he skipped a court date on another charge.
Archer apparently served as a driver while his companions entered the home of Roger Frazier about 10:30 p.m. Frazier’s daughter, Christy Calhoun, briefly opened the front door after hearing a knock, looking out and thinking she saw a police officer.
Calhoun quickly realized the visitor wasn’t an officer, and the masked man kicked the door open as she attempted to shut it. The suspect then put a gun to her face as two other masked men entered. Calhoun was threatened with both a pistol and “long gun.” The men told Calhoun to reveal the location of a safe and its combination.
The men forced Calhoun to her parent’s bedroom, where they proceeded to kick the door open. They were not prepared for what awaited them.
Frazier, who was in bed, had heard the commotion and armed himself with a pistol. When the suspects entered his bedroom, he greeted them with the firearm. As Frazier yelled at them, the trio fled the residence.
During the pursuit, Frazier said he fired three downward shots and a suspect returned fire. The invader’s bullet went over Frazier’s head, pierced a window and wound up in an interior wall.
Meanwhile, White Hall Police Sgt. Phillip Peckham had heard the gunshots from nearby while he was in his patrol car. Peckham started toward the residence as a radio dispatcher relayed a report of the incident.
White Hall officers converged upon the scene, receiving support from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police.
Davis, Smith and Martin fled to the nearby Gandy Elementary School, but they were seen by a neighbor of Frazier as they sought cover in a dumpster and behind a recycling bin. Police encountered and arrested them shortly after arriving.
Officers also found items related to the crime, including a pistol and mask, in the dumpster. The trio told officers that Archer, who had formerly been employed by Frazier at a local business, had instigated the incident. They said Archer told them that the Frazier house contained a safe with a large amount of money.
Archer drove the other suspects to the residence and was supposed to return to pick them up after the robbery. Police began a search for Archer and found him at about 10:15 a.m. Saturday in a Pine Bluff house.
Archer told investigators that he was to have been paid $100 for his services as a chauffeur.
Archer is white. His accomplices are black.
“No one was hurt or killed in this incident, so I would say things turned out well,” said Police Chief Noel Foster. “But I want this to serve as an alert to White Hall.
“This is a great city and I think we feel basically safe here, but we need to remember that crimes like this can happen anyplace and anytime. We need to remind ourselves that we shouldn’t forget to keep our eyes and ears open to possible problems and we need to watch out for each other.
“If you see or hear something suspicious, please don’t hesitate to call us. Don’t be slow to call because you’re suspecting something but nothing has yet happened. Notify us immediately and help us to prevent crime. It’s better to prevent a crime than have to investigate one.
“I promise you that we won’t be anything but appreciative, even if your suspicions don’t lead to anything more.”
Foster said that while it’s always better to allow officers to reply to armed offenses, persons have a right to protect themselves when they feel their lives might be in danger. Meanwhile, he praised his officers and their counterparts for their response to Friday’s incident.
“White Hall probably doesn’t realize what a superb group of officers it has serving and protecting the city,” said Foster. “Our officers are seasoned professionals who know how to work with each other and other agencies in getting their job done.
“I’m proud of them, and I’m also proud of how the different law enforcement agencies here network to support one another and better serve the public.”
Four men were arrested following an armed, home invasion-style burglary at a Taylor Road residence late Friday, Jan. 21.
Circuit Judge Jodi Dennis ruled Monday that the prosecuting attorney had probable cause to charge the quartet with aggravated residential burglary, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of committing a terroristic act.
Dennis set $500,000 cash-only bonds for Tommy Archer, Ronald Davis, Justin Martin and Timothy Smith. Davis and Smith are both 20. Archer is 22 and Martin is 19. Additionally, Smith was wanted on a failure to appear warrant issued last year when he skipped a court date on another charge.
Archer apparently served as a driver while his companions entered the home of Roger Frazier about 10:30 p.m. Frazier’s daughter, Christy Calhoun, briefly opened the front door after hearing a knock, looking out and thinking she saw a police officer.
Calhoun quickly realized the visitor wasn’t an officer, and the masked man kicked the door open as she attempted to shut it. The suspect then put a gun to her face as two other masked men entered. Calhoun was threatened with both a pistol and “long gun.” The men told Calhoun to reveal the location of a safe and its combination.
The men forced Calhoun to her parent’s bedroom, where they proceeded to kick the door open. They were not prepared for what awaited them.
Frazier, who was in bed, had heard the commotion and armed himself with a pistol. When the suspects entered his bedroom, he greeted them with the firearm. As Frazier yelled at them, the trio fled the residence.
During the pursuit, Frazier said he fired three downward shots and a suspect returned fire. The invader’s bullet went over Frazier’s head, pierced a window and wound up in an interior wall.
Meanwhile, White Hall Police Sgt. Phillip Peckham had heard the gunshots from nearby while he was in his patrol car. Peckham started toward the residence as a radio dispatcher relayed a report of the incident.
White Hall officers converged upon the scene, receiving support from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police.
Davis, Smith and Martin fled to the nearby Gandy Elementary School, but they were seen by a neighbor of Frazier as they sought cover in a dumpster and behind a recycling bin. Police encountered and arrested them shortly after arriving.
Officers also found items related to the crime, including a pistol and mask, in the dumpster. The trio told officers that Archer, who had formerly been employed by Frazier at a local business, had instigated the incident. They said Archer told them that the Frazier house contained a safe with a large amount of money.
Archer drove the other suspects to the residence and was supposed to return to pick them up after the robbery. Police began a search for Archer and found him at about 10:15 a.m. Saturday in a Pine Bluff house.
Archer told investigators that he was to have been paid $100 for his services as a chauffeur.
Archer is white. His accomplices are black.
“No one was hurt or killed in this incident, so I would say things turned out well,” said Police Chief Noel Foster. “But I want this to serve as an alert to White Hall.
“This is a great city and I think we feel basically safe here, but we need to remember that crimes like this can happen anyplace and anytime. We need to remind ourselves that we shouldn’t forget to keep our eyes and ears open to possible problems and we need to watch out for each other.
“If you see or hear something suspicious, please don’t hesitate to call us. Don’t be slow to call because you’re suspecting something but nothing has yet happened. Notify us immediately and help us to prevent crime. It’s better to prevent a crime than have to investigate one.
“I promise you that we won’t be anything but appreciative, even if your suspicions don’t lead to anything more.”
Foster said that while it’s always better to allow officers to reply to armed offenses, persons have a right to protect themselves when they feel their lives might be in danger. Meanwhile, he praised his officers and their counterparts for their response to Friday’s incident.
“White Hall probably doesn’t realize what a superb group of officers it has serving and protecting the city,” said Foster. “Our officers are seasoned professionals who know how to work with each other and other agencies in getting their job done.
“I’m proud of them, and I’m also proud of how the different law enforcement agencies here network to support one another and better serve the public.”
