A Garland County man was arrested last night [April 6th] following a two hour stand-off along Interstate 40 in West Memphis with Arkansas State Troopers and local law enforcement officers.
Charles Ray Skinner, Jr., 47, of Lonsdale is charged with aggravated assault, carrying a weapon, resisting arrest, parking on a highway and obstructing governmental operations. He was placed into custody by a Crittenden County law enforcement special response team and turned-over to state troopers who transported Skinner to the Crittenden County Jail.
The incident was initially reported to Arkansas State Police shortly before 6:40 PM, when motorists traveling through West Memphis on I-40 encountered a vehicle parked in a westbound lane of Interstate 40 causing traffic to be blocked near the 279 mile marker. The driver was said to be armed with a pistol and had pointed the gun at drivers who had exited their vehicles following a minor traffic crash.
After state troopers and local law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, east and westbound traffic was blocked as a safety precaution. Repeated orders from law enforcement officers directed to Skinner to exit the vehicle were ignored, leading state police to request a Crittenden County armored vehicle and special response team to be called to the scene. The armored truck approached Skinner’s vehicle and officers directed irritant gas into the car, causing Skinner to exit and surrender.
The highway was re-opened to traffic at approximately 8:30 PM.