In a negotiated plea, a Texas man was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections after an August 2024 standoff at a gas station in Pocahontas.
On Friday Dec. 12th, Jared Wesley Forward, age 43, of Newton Texas, was sentenced after he waived a jury trial and entered negotiated guilty plea to the following:
Simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, 120 months in the ADC
Possession of a Schedule I/II controlled substance, 120 months suspended imposition of sentence (SIS)
Aggravated assault, 60 months SIS
Forward received 481 days of jail time credit toward his prison sentence.
Original Story:
On Aug. 19, 2024, the Pocahontas Police and Randolph County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an incident at the Murphy USA on Highway 67.
Randolph County Dispatch received several reports of the suspect acting suspicious, brandishing a weapon and firing the weapon.
A standoff with law enforcement ensued, officers were able to contain the suspect and negotiate a surrender.
No injuries were reported.