LITTLE ROCK, AR – In a shocking turn of events, a West Memphis man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky handed down the maximum allowed sentence of 120 months in prison to Deterrius Wilson, 36, on Thursday afternoon in Little Rock. In addition to the 10-year sentence of imprisonment, Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Wilson to three years of supervised release.
The charges stem from a traffic stop in March of 2018, when West Memphis police officers initiated a stop of a blue Ford Escape SUV. The vehicle refused to stop and sped up, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. During the chase, officers observed Deterrius Wilson turn toward them and point a handgun directly at them.
After several minutes, the vehicle lost control and ran off the road. Wilson exited the vehicle and fled on foot through an alley, wearing camouflage body armor and carrying a handgun in his right hand. Officers told Wilson to drop the gun, and he did, but he continued to flee while removing his body armor.
When officers caught up to Wilson, they found two magazines fully loaded with 9mm ammunition. Officers also recovered his body armor, which contained 14 more rounds of 9mm ammunition. Wilson admitted ownership of the vest.
The investigation revealed that Wilson had a prior history of convictions, including fleeing, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and multiple firearms convictions. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the West Memphis Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters.
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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