Arkansas State Police dashcam footage captures pursuit starting in Memphis and crossing into Arkansas
Dashcam footage documents a cross-border chase
Dashcam video released by Arkansas State Police shows a pursuit that moved across jurisdictional lines between Memphis and Crittenden County, Arkansas, underscoring how quickly routine calls can become multi-agency events on the Interstate 55 corridor. The footage, reviewed as part of a broader investigation into pursuit decision-making, captures a sequence that began with a robbery alert in West Memphis and continued into Memphis before being halted.
Timeline and locations identified in official records
Official accounts state that on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at about 6 p.m., Arkansas State Police units responded after West Memphis police issued a “be on the lookout” alert connected to a robbery. Troopers located the suspect vehicle on Interstate 55 near the 1-mile marker in Crittenden County, Arkansas, as it traveled toward Tennessee at speeds reported near 100 miles per hour.
The pursuit continued over the Mississippi River bridge into Memphis. Authorities reported the use of a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) to end the pursuit at the 9-mile marker in Memphis. After the maneuver, one suspect ran from the vehicle on foot before being located later.
Start: robbery alert issued in West Memphis; vehicle located on I-55 in Crittenden County, Arkansas.
Crossing: vehicle continues into Tennessee over the I-55 Mississippi River crossing.
End: TVI conducted at the 9-mile marker in Memphis; suspects taken into custody following a short foot pursuit and subsequent search.
Who was arrested and where they were booked
The driver was identified as Joe N. Carter, 64, of Paducah, Kentucky. The passenger was identified as Phillip Harris, 43, of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, who was also reported to have outstanding warrants from Crittenden County, Arkansas. Both men were taken to the Shelby County Detention Center in Tennessee following their apprehension.
Cross-border pursuits typically involve immediate coordination on communications, traffic safety, and custody decisions, because the pursuit may originate under one agency’s authority and conclude under another’s.
Broader context: pursuits and public risk
The dashcam footage adds detail to the documented sequence of speeds, lane changes, and the point at which law enforcement chose to end the chase. While pursuit policies vary by agency, official narratives in this case emphasize the combination of a violent-crime-related alert and reported high speed as factors shaping tactical decisions. The case also illustrates operational realities in the Memphis–West Memphis corridor, where bridges and interstates compress response times and increase the need for coordinated action when a fleeing vehicle crosses state lines.
The criminal charges and court outcomes related to the suspects were not detailed in the available official account. As in all cases, suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.