Suspect in multi-state crime spree held in Crittenden County, Arkansas

CRITTENDEN COUNTY, Ark. (WMC) - A man who led law enforcement on a multi-state crime spree, avoiding arrest from Georgia, is being held at an Arkansas jail.

Officers brought Cody Dimmett to the Crittenden County Jail where he is on hold, waiting to be transferred to whatever jurisdiction will get him first. That involves at least three states after a crime spree that started in Georgia ended in St. Francis County Tuesday.

“He was found in the woods behind the house he was seen running into after he crashed the car,” said St. Francis County Sheriff Bobby May.

May says Dimmett was behind that house for hours. He said the family was not in the house and Dimmett was never inside.

“What kind old shape was he in, pretty bad shape. I mean, obviously out in the woods ticks chiggers eating him up,” said May.

Despite possibly having an eye on the suspect , Dimmett evaded law enforcement until around 7:30 p.m. The rural road between farm fields near Palestine is where the search went on for six hours. Investigators say Dimmett ended up behind the house soon after he crashed the unmarked Southaven police officer’s car that he stole.

This all started in the Atlanta area Saturday, then went to Hoover, Alabama where an officer on Monday spotted Dimmett after getting word that Georgia was looking for him. Hoover officers broke off that chase after it became too dangerous. Then Tuesday, Southaven police officer Roy Hurst followed Dimmett from Southaven into Memphis after running his license plate, learning he was wanted in Georgia.

That chase ended in Memphis near Mallory and Riverport where investigators say Dimmett shot the Southaven officer in the arm. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.

Authorities say Dimmett took the officer’s unmarked car and headed into Arkansas, crashing on a rural road near Palestine.

Cobb County, Georgia law enforcement says Demmitt was wanted after a bizarre incident Saturday.

They say he was denied entrance to a party next door to his house in the Atlanta area. Witnesses there said Demmitt didn’t take that rejection well and started shooting.

“Bullets were coming from everywhere the kitchen sink. They were coming from both ways like we were ambushed. Like they wanted us to run out of the house so they could mow us down,” a neighbor said.

Steve Boyd was hit by one of those bullets. It has not been decided what charges 28-year-old Dimmett will face. Each jurisdiction will have to decide that.

The Western District of Tennessee in Memphis could be the first jurisdiction to get Dimmett. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorneys office says the office could not comment at this point.

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