An Arkansas judge on Monday set a Jan. 7 trial date for the Rohnert Park pilot who was the subject of a statewide manhunt after fleeing from deputies in his airplane.
Dennis Franklin Hunter appeared before Judge Grisham Phillips in Saline County
Circuit Court facing a single charge of aggravated assault on a peace
officer. If convicted, he could face up to six years in state prison,
prosecutor Brian Clary said.
The charge stems from an April 1
incident at Saline County Airport where deputies sought to detain Hunter
when he landed to refuel. Department of Homeland Security officials
have said they were tracking Hunter's plane suspecting drugs were
onboard.
Hunter owns a Santa Rosa-based company called GeoPot,
which designs and sells fabric pots and planter boxes. He was sentenced
in 2005 to 6 years in federal prison for operating one of the largest
indoor pot farms in Humboldt County history.
When deputies
approached the plane as he refueled, Hunter jumped back in the cockpit,
hit the throttle and hastily took off. He later landed on a rural road
and fled into the woods, turning himself into authorities several days
later.
The assault charge stems from deputies' saying that the wing of Hunter's plane nearly struck a deputy when he fled.
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Related:
Cirrus SR22, N960CM: Dennis Hunter turns himself in to authorities
Cirrus SR22, N960CM: Pilot says panic led to Arkansas manhunt
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2013/04/cirrus-sr22-n960cm-fugitive-pilot-turns.html
http://registry.faa.gov/N960CM
http://geopot.com
OFFICER TAKING REPORT: COOPER, BRIAN
CASE NARRATIVE
ON
04/01/2013, I WAS ASKED TO ASSIST SGT. E. BEATY IN CHECKING AN AIRPLANE
THAT WAS ENROUTE TO THE SALINE COUNTY AIRPORT. WHILE ENROUTE , WE WERE
ADVISED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD ALREADY LANDED AND WHEN WE ARRIVED I
NOTICED A WHITE, SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE SITTING AT THE FUEL PUMP WITH A
WHITE MALE STANDING NEXT TO IT PUMPING FUEL INTO THE PLANE. I EXITED MY
PATROL UNIT AND WALKED THROUGH THE GATE IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONTACT
WITH THE SUBJECT. AS I GOT NEAR THE AIRPLANE, THE SUBJECT TOSSED THE
FUEL NOZZLE ONTO THE HOSE RACK AND WALKED AT A FAST PACE AROUND THE
AIRPLANE AND STARTED TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. AS THE SUBJECT WAS ENTERING
THE AIRPLANE, I YELL FOR HIM TO STOP AND AT THAT TIME HE LOOKED AT ME
AND AND JUMPED UP INTO THE COCKPIT AND SLAMMED THE DOOR. AS I APPROACHED
THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE, THE SUBJECT ATTEMPTED TO START THE
ENGINE, BUT IT FAILED TO START. I THEN YELLED AGAIN FOR THE SUBJECT TO
EXIT THE AIRPLANE BUT HE REFUSED AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO START THE
ENGINE. THE SUBJECT WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRPLANE STARTED AND PUT IT FULL
THROTTLE AND TOOK OFF TOWARD THE TAXI WAY OF THE AIRPORT. AS THE PLANE
TOOK OFF FROM THE FUEL PUMP, I HAD TO JUMP BACKWARDS AS TO KEEP THE WING
FROM STRIKING ME. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY BEFORE THE
SUBJECT PULLED NOSE UP AND TOOK OFF ON THE TAXI WAY AND HEADED
SOUTHEAST AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. A COPY OF THE CREDIT CARD WHICH IS
ISSUED TO A DENNIS HUNTER, WAS USED TO BUY FUEL FOR THE AIRPLANE AND WAS
RECOVERED AT THE FUEL PUMP AND IS ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT NOTE: DET.
RON PARSONS WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT ALONG WITH LT. M. FROST.
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