Texarkana men pursued 6-month streak of wrongdoing, police say
Eight facing gang-crime charges
BY RODNEY BOWERS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
TEXARKANA — Police said the arrests of eight men Thursday on charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise reflected a crackdown on suspected gang activity.
The seldom-used felony count primarily is used to halt gang-related crimes, officer Chris Rankin, a Police Department spokesman, said. Charles Black, deputy prosecuting attorney for Miller County, said the punishment associated with the charge will vary.
“It’s going to depend on the underlying predicate crime leading to the charge,” he said.
Arrested were Brandon Waller, Roland Smith and Jamarcus Brown, all 18; Brioni Dansby, 19; Willie Tatum, 20; Gary Lollis, 21; Willie Whitmore, 23, and Gregory Lewis, 26. All the suspects are from Texarkana.
Rankin said Lollis also was charged with first-degree battery, a Class B felony punishable by a sentence of five to 20 years in prison. All eight suspects were being held without bail Thursday in the Miller County jail.
“The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department began dealing with gang enforcement in the mid-1990 s after similar increases in gang violence,” Rankin said in a news release Thursday.
“During that time, aggressive enforcement efforts were implemented and the city has been virtually free from gang activity for almost 10 years.”
However, he said, “The arrest warrants [served Thursday] stem from numerous incidents that have taken place over the course of about six months. The suspects that have been arrested are believed to have been involved in a variety of crimes ranging from shootings and weapons possession to narcotics trafficking.
“Other incidents that have taken place involved crimes of violence directed toward members of rival gangs from each side of town,” both in Arkansas and Texas, he said.
Police Chief Bob Harrison promised increased police action against gang-related violence.
“We have learned through previous experience in dealing with gangs that the most efficient way of ridding the city of this type of activity is to aggressively pursue these individuals and see to it that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said in the news release.
The release stated that the department was adopting a “zero-tolerance policy” regarding suspected gang activity. It further stated, “[E]nforcement of juvenile curfew laws and violation of city noise ordinances will be strictly enforced.”
BY RODNEY BOWERS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
TEXARKANA — Police said the arrests of eight men Thursday on charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise reflected a crackdown on suspected gang activity.
The seldom-used felony count primarily is used to halt gang-related crimes, officer Chris Rankin, a Police Department spokesman, said. Charles Black, deputy prosecuting attorney for Miller County, said the punishment associated with the charge will vary.
“It’s going to depend on the underlying predicate crime leading to the charge,” he said.
Arrested were Brandon Waller, Roland Smith and Jamarcus Brown, all 18; Brioni Dansby, 19; Willie Tatum, 20; Gary Lollis, 21; Willie Whitmore, 23, and Gregory Lewis, 26. All the suspects are from Texarkana.Rankin said Lollis also was charged with first-degree battery, a Class B felony punishable by a sentence of five to 20 years in prison. All eight suspects were being held without bail Thursday in the Miller County jail.
“The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department began dealing with gang enforcement in the mid-1990 s after similar increases in gang violence,” Rankin said in a news release Thursday.
“During that time, aggressive enforcement efforts were implemented and the city has been virtually free from gang activity for almost 10 years.”
However, he said, “The arrest warrants [served Thursday] stem from numerous incidents that have taken place over the course of about six months. The suspects that have been arrested are believed to have been involved in a variety of crimes ranging from shootings and weapons possession to narcotics trafficking.
“Other incidents that have taken place involved crimes of violence directed toward members of rival gangs from each side of town,” both in Arkansas and Texas, he said.
Police Chief Bob Harrison promised increased police action against gang-related violence.
“We have learned through previous experience in dealing with gangs that the most efficient way of ridding the city of this type of activity is to aggressively pursue these individuals and see to it that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said in the news release.
The release stated that the department was adopting a “zero-tolerance policy” regarding suspected gang activity. It further stated, “[E]nforcement of juvenile curfew laws and violation of city noise ordinances will be strictly enforced.”
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