Female suspect flees from checkpoint, ending in soccer field of Friendship Park
Published 4:20 pm Thursday, May 6, 2021
A woman is wanted by the Pearl River county Sheriff’s Department after she resisted arrest by fleeing in her vehicle through a park occupied by families.
Capt. Shane Edgar said the chase began while he and other members of the department were conducting a safety checkpoint on Grover Barrett Road on April 29. At about 7 p.m. they noticed a vehicle begin to head toward the checkpoint, but abruptly turned around. Edgar said he caught up with the vehicle to bring the driver and occupants to the checkpoint, at which time the driver gave a false name. Just as she got to the checkpoint the driver, later identified as 20-year-old Ashleigh Marie Williams of 130 Sheila Dr., fled towards Highway 11. After making several turns onto other roads, including Ausborn Drive, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Haugh Avenue, she proceeded to head into Friendship Park. Edgar said when he saw her head into the park he backed off the pursuit in the hopes she would slow down. Instead she fled through parking lots and baseball fields before entering the soccer field near Highway 11.
At that point she exited the vehicle while it was still in motion and ran into the woods where Edgar said he lost sight of her.
A search of her vehicle located the suspect’s identification card displaying her true identity and also located some marijuana.
Edgar said a warrant was issued for Williams’ arrest for felony fleeing for putting children’s lives at risk, providing false information to a law enforcement officer and possession of marijuana.