In the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 31, 2007, Jeffery Pearson kidnapped his ex-wife, Kim Pearson and their 4-year-old daughter, Abigail Pearson, from their home near Clinton, Arkansas. Information concerning the kidnapping was broadcast to local law enforcement and at approximately 4:45 a.m. Van Buren County Deputy Sheriff Randy Churches found the trio sitting in Jeffery Pearson’s pickup truck located on the U.S. Post Office parking lot in the town of Choctaw.

Jeffery Pearson was distraught over a failed relationship with Kim Parish and had been ingesting meth for several hours prior to kidnapping his daughter and ex-wife. As Deputy Churches approached the vehicle he became aware that Jeffery Pearson was holding Kim and Abigail at knifepoint. Deputy Churches called for help and tried to convince the suspect to drop the knife and release his hostages.

Sheriff Scott Bradley soon arrived and attempted to defuse the situation. Sheriff Bradley, along with one of Pearson’s friends, Damascus Police Officer Josh Patterson, began to negotiate with the suspect. Sheriff Bradley and Officer Patterson tried to reason with Pearson for approximately two hours, but when it appeared that their efforts were futile, he sent a message to Troop J requesting an Arkansas State Police negotiator. Corporals Blake Wilson and Joe Carter were soon sent to the scene, arriving at about 8:10 a.m.

Corporal Wilson soon assumed the position of the lead negotiator and began negotiating with Pearson through the partially opened passenger’s window of his pickup truck. Wilson observed Jeffery Pearson sitting in the pickup on the driver’s side. He had all the vehicle doors locked and had placed his 4-year-old daughter on his lap. Her back was against Pearson’s chest and he was holding a hunting knife against her chest using her body as a shield to protect him from possible action by police snipers. Kim Pearson was sitting in the front seat along side her ex-husband and was holding her daughter’s hand.

Wilson had negotiated with Pearson for approximately five hours. During this time he perceived that Pearson was becoming more agitated and stressed. At approximately 1:00 p.m. it was decided that negotiating might not be successful in resolving the incident and the ASP SWAT was activated. Wilson continued to negotiate with Pearson as SWAT members began responding to the incident.

ASP SWAT member Sgt. Bryan Davis arrived from Troop H at approximately 2:30 p.m. and learned that the SWAT Team members already on-scene had put together an “immediate reaction plan.” Davis successfully placed himself in a position near Wilson and listened to the negotiations. Jeffery Pearson was becoming more and more aggressive and unpredictable. During this time both officers had to endure cries and screams from the young child as her father placed the knife against her chest and pushed the blade into her chest, causing her pain and injury.

Davis and Wilson continued to evaluate the situation, looking for any option that might bring the incident to a safe and successful conclusion. Wilson continued his attempts to reason with Pearson.

At approximately 5:00 p.m. Pearson demanded that everyone within close proximity of the pickup move except Wilson and a few family members. As the scene was being cleared, Davis ducked below the suspect’s field of vision and remained in a position next to the pickup. Pearson was paranoid from the drugs he had ingested earlier in the day and was attempting to look around the pickup. Wilson opened the passenger’s door as a good faith gesture to show Pearson that there was no one hiding near the pickup. He began moving items from the passenger’s side of the pickup and convinced Pearson that he was doing this so ex-wife, Kim Pearson, could get out and return with his girlfriend Kim Parish. In reality, Wilson now had removed a huge barrier by opening the door and removing items located on the front seat to clear himself and Davis a path for possible entry. In addition, Wilson was finally able to open the driver’s door using the pickup’s electric door locks without the suspect recognizing what he had done. The two officers continued to communicate with one another through whispers and hand signals.

Finally, after approximately ten hours of failed negotiations and with several barriers now out of his way, Wilson felt that he was in a position to take other action. The suspect had been holding the knife with both hands, but fatigue had caused him to change his hold from both hands, clenching the knife to just one hand securing it. Wilson saw his opportunity when the suspect moved the knife to his right hand, a position nearest where he was standing, and then the suspect looked away momentarily. Wilson lunged into the pickup and across the lap of Kim Pearson. He grabbed the right wrist of the suspect and began trying to wrestle the knife away from him. Davis came in behind Wilson and jumped across Kim Pearson’s back, forcing her to bend forward. Davis applied a “dry stun” to the suspect using a Taser in an attempt to help Wilson and force the knife from Pearson’s clinched hand. At the same time other members of the SWAT team were making entry through the driver’s door. Wilson was successful in forcing Pearson to drop the knife, and the suspect was dragged from the pickup. Kim Pearson and her daughter were freed unharmed.

Wilson was exhausted both physically and mentally after the incident, having negotiated with a suspect for approximately ten hours without sitting or stopping for food, water, or any other necessities. Both troopers had to suffer hearing cries of pain from the 4-year-old whose father was inflicting chest wounds on her with a hunting knife and who had gone most of the day without food or drink and while enduring pleas from her mother to take action quickly. Additionally, the troopers knew they had to maintain their composure and could not allow their emotions to block their ability to think clearly and to place themselves in positions to enter the vehicle while getting past the mother and other obstacles placed in their way.

They excelled in intercommunications and interactions and displayed sound SWAT and negotiation tactics. Wilson detected that the language and request of Jeffery Pearson met the criteria that indicated that they were dealing with a potential homicide/suicide suspect.

Wilson’s performance generated great success in a highly complex situation. He excelled in cutting through confusion and was extremely resourceful as he demonstrated a strong perseverance to a successful conclusion. He took calculated risks, exercised a wide range of decision-making control, and made decisions under tremendous pressure. Wilson knowingly placed himself in peril of death or serious injury to go to the rescue of others. He demonstrated self-reliance and resourcefulness and capitalized on personal strengths to insure that a potential disaster was averted.

Wilson’s rigid self-discipline, his excellent intuitive judgment, and his extraordinary acts of valor are all characteristics associated with excellence.

AAST Trooper/Officer of the Year