Escaped attempted robbery suspect at home before shoot out

PARAGOULD, Ark. (KAIT) - Paragould police released new details that a teen arrested after a chase following days on the run in an attempted armed robbery was at the home before being shot.

On Oct. 28, Captain Brad Snyder with the Paragould Police Department confirmed police were called to the woman’s home on Oct. 18 before the attempted armed robbery with Damon Dickey.

A Paragould Police Department incident report said police were called in response to an unwanted person who was not Damon Dickey, but the daughter’s ex-boyfriend. Once they arrived, he was not there, so the police left.

Shortly after that call, police left and were called back for the incident involving Dickey, who was shot and left with life-threatening injuries.

Paragould Police said Brenda Davis told them it was Dickey’s second time at the house that day.

They said he initially approached her for a ride and was told no; he left but returned and pulled a firearm.

According to Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell, Damon Dickey was arrested in Greene County on Oct. 27. Sheriff Bell issued a missing person advisory earlier this week after Dickey was able to leave the Med in Memphis against medical advice.

“He was released from the Med without our knowledge,” Brent McCain, the Patrol Commander with Paragould Police said. “We are not happy about that.”

Captain Brad Snyder with Paragould Police said a chase started after a traffic stop for a lighting violation on Highway 135 North near Hooker. A police chase took place ending near Greene County Road 516.

McCain said Dickey was transported to the hospital after being shot during an incident in Paragould last week. McCain could not talk specifics about the case, but Brenda Davis told Region 8 News that Dickey held a gun to her head in her garage and the gun misfired when he pulled the trigger. Davis said her daughter was able to shoot Dickey before police arrived.

According to McCain, an officer was not with Dickey at the hospital in Memphis when he was able to leave. McCain said the department believed Dickey would be in the hospital longer than he was, and distance prevented an officer from being in Memphis.

McCain said because Regional One Health is out of Arkansas, the policies for notifying police about Dickey’s release are not the same as Arkansas. McCain said now that Dickey is in custody, an investigation into his release will likely begin.

“The fact that the hospital is in a different state, it is in a different jurisdiction,” McCain said “Their obligations to out of state sometimes varies. Now that can be looked into by a different agency, but not by us.”

McCain said Dickey suffered “life-threatening” injuries when he was shot, but was able to leave after getting medical care at Regional One.

McCain believes Dickey was receiving assistance from another person while he was out. McCain said the person who helped keep Dickey from being arrested could face charges as well.

Law enforcement from multiple agencies aided in the three-day search for Dickey after he left the hospital. McCain said because of his injuries, he did not believe Dickey was a threat to the public, which kept them from releasing more details about why he was wanted.

“If we push further into flight, we might not capture him and put him in dangerous with other people and put those people in danger,” McCain said.

Dickey could face more charges now that he has been arrested.

Snyder said Dickey is being charged as an adult “due to his current age and severity of the crime.”

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