2 fugitives wanted in Arkansas captured in Caddo Parish following vehicle pursuit from Texarkana

CADDO PARISH, La. (KSLA) - Deputies with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO) arrested two men who were wanted on felony gun charges in Miller County, Arkansas, said Sheriff Steve Prator.

Following a vehicle pursuit that began in Texarkana, Arkansas, Joseph Demarquez D. Dennis, 21, and King James Copeland, 25, both of Shreveport, were captured by CPSO in north Caddo Parish.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, deputies were notified that two men wanted by the Miller County Sheriff’s Office were traveling in a white van with a Louisiana license plate and heading southbound on I-49. Deputies responded to mile marker 241 and deployed a tire deflation device to stop the suspects’ approaching vehicle.

The two fugitives were arrested Aug. 26, 2023.(CPSO)

To avoid the deflation device, Copeland, who was driving the vehicle, steered the van into the median. While attempting to get back on the highway, he overcorrected and crashed the van into a line of trees.

Dennis and Copeland then exited the vehicle and fled on foot into some woods south of Mira.

After searching for nearly two hours, deputies captured Dennis in the woods.

An off-duty deputy spotted Copeland just before 11 p.m., walking in the 15000 block of Hosston/Rodessa Road South. The off-duty deputy detained him until deputies arrived.

During a search of the suspects’ van, deputies found several firearms, including a stolen AK-47 pistol, an AR-15-style pistol and drugs.

Copeland was charged with:

Four counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon
Aggravated flight from an officer
Possession of a stolen firearm
Hit and run
No driver’s license
In-state fugitive for unrelated warrants issued by the Shreveport Police Department

Out-of-state charges are pending from Miller County.

Dennis was charged with: