Man arrested after pointing gun at, threatening to kill family members, fleeing from deputies

A Searcy County man has been arrested for pointing a gun at and threatening to kill family members, fleeing from deputies when they arrived and starting a fire while he was fleeing. Thirty-year-old Randy Frank Eddings of St. Joe is facing eight charges for the incident, including five felonies.

According to the probable cause affidavit from the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a residence in St. Joe after receiving a call about Eddings saying he was going to shoot himself and hurt others. When deputies arrived, they spoke with Eddings’ mother who said he had pointed a gun at her. When deputies tried to take the gun from Eddings, he fled.

Law enforcement split up, some on foot and some in vehicles looking for Eddings. The caught him a short distance away. While trying to put handcuffs on him, he resisted arrest and a Taser was deployed.

Once Eddings was taken into custody, deputies returned to his mother’s house to continue the investigation. They spoke to another female family member who said at one point she was able to get the gun away from him, but he knocked her down and took it back away from her. At one point, she bent down and Eddings pointed the gun at her head, but she was able to take the gun back away from him then.

During a search of Eddings, deputies found a small amount of suspected methamphetamine. Eddings also set a small fire while he was running from law enforcement.

Eddings is facing three counts of aggravated assault, and single counts of second degree assault of a police officer and possession of methamphetamine, all felonies. Misdemeanor charges include fleeing on foot and unlawful burning. He is being held in the Searcy County Jail on bonds totaling $100,000.

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