Marion County man facing six charges following pursuit

A Marion County man is facing six charges, three of them felonies, following a pursuit last week. Forty-eight-year-old Jody Thomas McLaughlin of Flippin is free from jail after posting bond.

According to the probable cause affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was on patrol in the early morning hours last Tuesday when he spotted a vehicle driven by McLaughlin driving at a high rate of speed with no tail lights in front of the Ranger plant on Arkansas State Highway 178.

The deputy turned around and began pursuing the vehicle with speeds at 80 miles-per hour. McLaughlin then slammed on his brakes, looked out his window at the deputy while he backed up, and he then turned onto Marion County Road 8062 and started to drive again. He drove a short distance before getting out of the car where he was taken into custody.

During a search of the vehicle, the deputy found three firearms, with one of them being reported stolen out of Little Rock.

The affidavit noted McLaughlin has been adjudicated as unfit to proceed on a previous felony case and ordered to get treatment at the Arkansas State Hospital, meeting the requirements for the charge of possession of firearms by certain persons. That is a felony charge.

Other felony charges McLaughlin is facing include fleeing and theft by receiving. Misdemeanor charges include speeding, reckless driving and non-functioning tail lamps.

McLaughlin is free after posting $25,000 bond.

The previous case mentioned is from Washington County in August of 2022 when he was arrested on multiple drug charges and a simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms charge.

He has also been arrested previously in Marion County in September of 2022 for felony theft of property and criminal trespass.

Both cases are still open.

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