Paroled prisoner arrested for drug offense, allegedly kicked police officer in the head

A local parolee arrested late Monday on a drug charge reportedly kicked a Hot Springs police officer in the head, prompting another officer to deploy his Taser.

Megan Renae Nicole Johnson, 34, of Bayles Street, was arrested shortly after 10:30 p.m. She was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years in prison, and resisting arrest, punishable by up to one year in prison.

Johnson remained in custody Tuesday, released on bail, and is scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court today. According to court records, she was sentenced to three years' probation in 2010 for second-degree forgery, to five years in prison in 2011 for grand theft of property, and to six years in prison in 2020 for possession of a controlled substance, meth, and failure to appear in court, but was later paroled.

According to the probable cause affidavit, HSPD Officer Zach Rieves and Cpl. Taylor Gates were stopped by “a concerned citizen” in the area of ​​Richard Street and Albert Pike Road shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Monday.

The witness stated that there was a white female walking around in the 200 block of Bayles Street “carrying a crack pipe” and gave a clothing description. Officers went to the area and saw a woman matching the description, later identified as Johnson, walking around on Plain Street near Bayles.

Johnson reportedly walked to the curb, placed something on the ground and walked away. Gates allegedly found a clear glass pipe with white residue “consistent with narcotics” that she had placed on the ground.

Rieves approached Johnson and attempted to take her into custody, but she allegedly “pulled away” from him and “started.” At one point, he grabbed her wrist and attempted to put her hands behind her back, at which point she “spun around” and kicked Rieves in the head, causing both of them to fall to the ground.

At this point, Gates deployed his Taser “to enforce compliance.” LifeNet responded to the incident and removed the Taser from Johnson, who was medically evaluated and taken into custody without further incident.