West Memphis Traffic Stop Turns Into a High Speed Pursuit and K-9 Arrest

A Quiet Interstate Observation Turns Into Something Much Bigger

Just before 2 a.m. on August 29, 2026, Arkansas State Police Trooper Eli Thomas was positioned near Interstate 40 in West Memphis when he noticed a black Nissan Versa traveling west. According to reporting based on the Arkansas State Police incident report, the car was moving at approximately 68 mph in a 65 mph zone. On its own, that observation hardly suggested what would follow.

The dash-camera footage shows the Nissan leaving the interstate and moving into West Memphis. Coordinates visible in the video place the encounter in the same area described by the police report. Thomas follows as the car travels toward Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. What initially appears to be a straightforward attempt to stop a vehicle quickly changes when the driver does not settle into a normal traffic stop.

The driver was later identified in the police report as 40-year-old James V. Gregory of West Memphis. At this point in the footage, however, the trooper is dealing primarily with a moving vehicle whose behavior is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Within minutes, the encounter would move from an interstate observation to a pursuit through city streets, two tactical vehicle intervention attempts, a foot chase and a K-9 apprehension.

The Nissan Leaves Interstate 40

The pursuit began near the 282-mile marker of Interstate 40. After Thomas observed the Nissan, the vehicle took Exit 280 and turned onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

According to the state police account reported by Hoodline, the Nissan accelerated to roughly 65 mph on a road posted at 45 mph. The report also says Gregory brake-checked the patrol vehicle.

That detail is significant because it marks the moment when the encounter becomes more than a driver simply taking time to find a safe place to stop. The Nissan continues moving and the trooper remains directly behind it.

The dash camera gives viewers a clear sense of the environment. It is dark, traffic is relatively light in some stretches, and commercial properties line portions of the route. The patrol vehicle's emergency lighting reflects across the roadway and the rear of the Nissan as the pursuit develops.

Driving Behavior Raises the Risk

The Arkansas State Police report describes the Nissan swerving between lanes and moving partly into the center turn lane. At another point, the driver passed a stopped tractor-trailer while approximately half of the Nissan entered a ditch.

Those movements created obvious hazards beyond the simple fact that the vehicle was refusing to stop.

A pursuit through a city at night requires a trooper to constantly evaluate changing conditions. Intersections, parked vehicles, roadside businesses and other motorists can appear quickly. A driver who moves unpredictably reduces the time available for everyone else to react.

The report states that the Nissan later ran a red light at Broadway and Walker while traveling at approximately 60 mph.

The pursuit was now moving through streets where the posted limits were substantially lower than the speeds reported by police.

The First Tactical Intervention Does Not End It

Thomas attempted a tactical vehicle intervention at Broadway and 14th Street.

The maneuver did not stop the Nissan.

A TVI, often referred to more generally as a PIT-style maneuver, involves deliberate contact by a police vehicle intended to rotate a fleeing vehicle and bring the pursuit to an end. The exact circumstances and agency policies governing its use matter, but in this incident the first attempt did not produce a final stop.

The Nissan continued west on Broadway.

According to the police report, speeds exceeded 80 mph on roads posted at 30 and 35 mph. That gap between the posted limits and the reported pursuit speed is one of the clearest indicators of how far the situation had escalated.

The footage shows Thomas staying with the car as the pursuit continues toward another opportunity to end it.

A Second Intervention Finally Stops the Car

Near Eighth Street, Thomas performed a second tactical vehicle intervention.

This time, the maneuver worked.

The Nissan was forced to a stop in a parking area along Broadway. For a moment, the vehicle pursuit itself was over.

But the incident was not.

Instead of remaining with the car, the driver exited and ran west along the sidewalk through the business district.

The transition happens quickly. A trooper who has just spent several minutes managing a vehicle pursuit now has to respond to a person fleeing on foot.

The dash-camera view in the supplied images shows the final area clearly, including the East 70 route marker and storefronts along the street. Officers can be seen converging near the sidewalk as the arrest phase begins.

The Foot Pursuit Brings in a Police K-9

According to the Arkansas State Police report, Trooper First Class Gunner Fultz deployed his police K-9 after Gregory continued running.

The dog caught Gregory and held him until troopers could move in and place him in handcuffs.

This part of the incident is important to describe carefully. The police report says Gregory suffered a bleeding injury to his forehead during the encounter, and an ambulance was requested following the K-9 apprehension.

The available footage shows officers clustered near a storefront after the chase. What happened there was no longer about controlling a speeding vehicle. The priority had shifted to taking the fleeing driver into custody and assessing his condition.

The entire sequence from the interstate to the sidewalk had unfolded within only a few minutes.

What Troopers Reported After the Arrest

After Gregory was handcuffed, Thomas reported additional behavior and observations that became relevant to the investigation.

According to the incident report summarized by Hoodline, Gregory struck his head against the glass of a patrol vehicle and threatened Thomas. The trooper also reported a strong odor of intoxicants, along with bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech.

These are police observations contained in the report. They should not be confused with an independent medical finding or a final court determination.

Emergency medical personnel responded, but Gregory reportedly refused treatment at the scene. Thomas later transported him to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden for evaluation.

The hospital visit added another stage to an incident that had already progressed through a vehicle pursuit, tactical interventions, a foot chase and a K-9 apprehension.

A Remark to Troopers Becomes Part of the Report

The police account says Gregory made a striking statement while being dealt with after the arrest.

He reportedly told troopers that they did not need a test because he could tell them how drunk and high he was.

That statement is attributed to Gregory in the state police report. It is relevant because investigators were considering a suspected impaired-driving offense, but it should still be described as a reported statement rather than treated as a laboratory result.

The report says Gregory refused to submit to chemical testing.

The distinction matters. Police observations, a suspect's statements, chemical-test results and a court finding are different forms of evidence. At the time covered by the available reporting, the incident had produced an arrest and a list of charges, not a final adjudication of those charges.

Medical Evaluation Before Jail

At Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden, Gregory underwent an MRI, according to the police account.

The report states that he declined antibiotics offered for injuries associated with the K-9 apprehension and his forehead. He was eventually medically cleared for release.

Only after that process could the custody sequence continue.

This portion of the case is less dramatic than the pursuit footage, but it is part of the complete timeline. Arrests following pursuits can involve medical evaluation even when a suspect initially refuses treatment at the scene.

Once medically cleared, Gregory was booked into the Crittenden County jail.

The Charges Listed by Arkansas State Police

The Arkansas State Police report listed numerous alleged offenses arising from the pursuit.

Reporting on the incident identifies felony fleeing by vehicle, fleeing on foot, DWI, refusal to submit to a chemical test, reckless driving, speeding more than 15 mph over the limit, careless and prohibited driving, criminal mischief, failure to obey a stop sign and failure to obey a traffic control device.

Those are charges or alleged violations reported after the arrest.

They are not the same thing as convictions.

That distinction is especially important for a recent 2026 case. Public reporting available shortly after the incident documents the police account and booking, but it does not establish a final court disposition for every charge.

The article therefore treats the charges as allegations unless and until court records establish an outcome.

Why the Video Matches the Report

Several details visible in the supplied footage align closely with the independently reported incident.

The timestamp shows August 29, 2026, shortly before and after 2 a.m.

The dash-camera overlay identifies Arkansas State Police and Trooper Eli Thomas.

Coordinates visible in the footage place the pursuit in West Memphis.

The car is a small black passenger vehicle consistent with the Nissan Versa described in the report.

The route eventually reaches a commercial section of Broadway where an East 70 marker is visible.

Finally, the footage shows the vehicle pursuit giving way to an arrest near storefronts, matching the report's description of the driver running west after the second intervention.

Taken together, these details make this a strong match to the James V. Gregory pursuit reported from West Memphis.

The Geography Explains the Rapid Change in Driving Conditions

West Memphis sits immediately west of the Mississippi River and Memphis, Tennessee, with Interstate 40 carrying a large volume of regional and interstate traffic through the area.

A pursuit that begins on the interstate can therefore move into local streets very quickly.

That is exactly what happened here.

The Nissan left I-40 and entered Martin Luther King Jr. Drive before continuing toward Broadway. The environment changed from interstate travel to surface streets with intersections, businesses and lower speed limits.

That transition matters because a speed that might be close to ordinary interstate travel becomes far more dangerous when maintained on roads posted at 30 or 35 mph.

The police report's description of speeds above 80 mph on those streets illustrates why troopers sought to end the pursuit.

The Dash Camera Shows What a Written Report Cannot

A police report can list speeds, intersections and maneuvers.

The dash camera provides a different kind of information.

It shows the spacing between vehicles. It shows street lighting and traffic conditions. It shows how quickly the Nissan moves from one roadway environment to another. It shows the patrol vehicle closing distance and the sudden changes that accompany intervention attempts.

Neither source should replace the other.

The footage is strongest for observable events.

The written report is necessary for details that cannot reliably be determined from images alone, including the driver's identity, reported charges, medical evaluation and statements attributed to him.

Using both allows the incident to be reconstructed without inventing details.

Why the First Intervention Matters

The first unsuccessful tactical intervention is a key moment because it demonstrates that ending a pursuit is not always immediate.

When Thomas attempted the maneuver at Broadway and 14th Street, the Nissan remained mobile.

That meant the risk did not disappear.

Instead, the pursuit continued onto another section of Broadway, where the state police report says the car reached speeds exceeding 80 mph.

The second intervention near Eighth Street finally changed the outcome.

Once the Nissan stopped, the danger associated with a moving vehicle decreased, but the driver's decision to run created a new problem for officers.

The incident therefore contains several distinct phases rather than one continuous chase.

From Vehicle Pursuit to Foot Chase

The moment Gregory reportedly left the Nissan illustrates how quickly officers can be forced to change tactics.

During the vehicle pursuit, Thomas's attention was centered on roadway position, speed, traffic and opportunities to stop the car.

After the Nissan came to rest, those considerations changed immediately.

The driver was now moving through an area accessible on foot.

Troopers had to pursue while accounting for nearby buildings, sidewalks and the possibility that the fleeing person could move out of sight.

Fultz and his K-9 became part of the response during this phase.

According to the report, the dog apprehended Gregory after he continued running, allowing troopers to complete the arrest.

The Role of Speed in the Police Account

Speed appears repeatedly in the official narrative.

Thomas initially observed the Nissan at about 68 mph in a 65-mph zone.

After leaving the interstate, the vehicle reportedly reached about 65 mph in a 45-mph zone.

It later ran a red light at roughly 60 mph.

On Broadway, police reported speeds above 80 mph where limits were 30 or 35 mph.

These figures come from the state police account and are not estimates derived from the screenshots.

The progression is important because it explains why an observation that initially involved only a small difference from the interstate limit developed into a far more serious pursuit.

The risk profile changed as both speed and roadway context changed.

A Recent Case With No Reason to Invent an Ending

Because this incident happened only recently, it would be inappropriate to manufacture a court outcome.

The available sources establish that Gregory was arrested and booked and that Arkansas State Police listed multiple charges.

That is where the verified legal story currently stands in the sources used for this article.

A charge is an accusation.

A booking confirms that someone entered custody, not that every allegation has been proven.

Future court records may provide a plea, dismissal, conviction, acquittal or another resolution. Until that information is verified, the accurate approach is to stop at the documented arrest and charges.

The Pursuit Ends, but the Case Continues

The final frames near the West Memphis storefronts give the video a visual ending.

The Nissan is no longer moving.

The driver is no longer running.

Troopers are gathered at the arrest location.

But that is not the end of the legal process.

Medical evaluation follows. Booking follows. Charges enter the court system.

For viewers, the most dramatic portion may be the pursuit itself, especially the moment the Nissan continues after the first intervention and the second maneuver finally stops it.

For the justice system, however, those minutes are only the beginning of a case that must be documented and resolved through ordinary legal procedures.

A Few Minutes That Changed an Ordinary Patrol

The West Memphis pursuit is notable because of how rapidly it escalated.

A trooper observing a car on Interstate 40 could not know that the encounter would soon involve city streets, reported speeds above 80 mph, two tactical interventions, a foot pursuit and a K-9 apprehension.

The dash-camera footage captures that escalation in real time.

The Arkansas State Police report fills in the details the camera cannot provide: the identity of the driver, the observations made after arrest, the hospital evaluation and the charges.

Together, the sources show an incident that moved through multiple stages before ending with Gregory in custody.

No additional motive needs to be invented to make the story compelling. The documented sequence is enough.

What the Footage Leaves Unanswered

Even detailed dash-camera footage has limits.

It does not tell viewers what Gregory was thinking.

It cannot independently establish impairment.

It cannot predict how a court will rule on the charges.

It also does not provide every conversation that may have occurred among troopers, medical personnel and investigators after the arrest.

Those gaps should remain gaps unless reliable records fill them.

That approach is particularly important with police footage because dramatic images can encourage viewers to assume more than the evidence actually shows.

Here, the verified facts already provide a clear narrative without speculation.

A West Memphis Pursuit With a Documented Police Account

The August 29 pursuit can be reconstructed with unusual precision because the dash-camera overlays and the Arkansas State Police report align.

The date matches.

The location matches.

Trooper Eli Thomas is identified in both.

The black Nissan appears throughout the footage.

The pursuit travels from the interstate into West Memphis streets.

A second trooper's camera is visible in the edited footage, and officers converge after the vehicle is stopped.

That consistency allows the video to be tied to the reported Gregory arrest with far greater confidence than a title-only match.

It also allows the article to remain specific while avoiding unsupported claims.

The Final Stop on Broadway

By the time the pursuit reaches Broadway, the circumstances are far removed from the initial observation on I-40.

The Nissan has allegedly accelerated well beyond local speed limits, moved unpredictably through traffic and continued after one intervention attempt.

The second TVI near Eighth Street finally brings the car to a stop.

Gregory then runs.

Fultz deploys the K-9.

Troopers take Gregory into custody and request medical assistance.

The footage closes the active pursuit, but the report carries the story forward through hospital evaluation and jail booking.

It is a sequence that demonstrates why the end of a chase is not always the end of an incident.

What Happened After the Sirens Stopped

Once Gregory was medically cleared, he was booked into the Crittenden County jail.

Arkansas State Police attributed a long list of alleged offenses to the events of that night, including felony vehicle fleeing and DWI.

The case was still recent when the reporting used here was published, so this article does not claim a conviction or sentence that has not been independently established.

That restraint matters.

Police footage is evidence of what a camera recorded. An incident report documents an officer's account. Charges state what authorities allege. A conviction requires a legal resolution.

Keeping those categories separate makes the account more reliable and preserves the presumption that pending allegations must be resolved in court.

One Interstate Observation, Two TVIs and a K-9 Arrest

The pursuit began with a black Nissan Versa on Interstate 40 shortly before 2 a.m.

It ended several minutes later near storefronts on Broadway in West Memphis.

Between those points, Arkansas State Police say the driver accelerated through lower-speed city roads, ran a traffic signal, continued after an initial tactical intervention and ultimately fled on foot after a second intervention stopped the car.

A police K-9 then apprehended the driver, identified by authorities as James V. Gregory.

The incident is dramatic, but the strongest version of the story is the factual one.

The dash-camera footage provides the visual sequence. The police report provides the identities, reported speeds, observations, medical response and charges. Where the public record stops, this article stops too.

Click here to watch the full pursuit and see how the early-morning West Memphis traffic encounter developed from Interstate 40 into a city-street chase and arrest.