Dyer County, Tenn.–What started as an early-morning sting operation to catch people stealing from duck hunters’ vehicles in Dyer County resulted in one of the suspects trying to run over deputies and leading officers on a chase that ended in Lauderdale County when deputies performing a pit maneuver to place the suspect’s vehicle in a ditch.
Along with Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box, deputies conducted a sting operation early Sunday morning with some deputies posing as duck hunters. The operation resulted in the arrest of a Crockett County man, Robert Tims, who is suspected to be one of several individuals responsible for many thefts from vehicles of duck hunters not only in Dyer county but several other surrounding counties.
Box said the operation consisted of 11 officers, including himself, along with 10 Deputies and investigators. The operation began early with deputies in unmarked trucks patrolling or sitting at area boat ramps.
At 5:58 am., a deputy observed a 4-door gray sedan which had been developed as a suspect vehicle driving recklessly on Slaughter Pen which is within a few minutes from the Parker Ditch Road boat ramp that has been prone to thefts from hunters vehicles over the past few weeks. Deputies stopped the suspect vehicle at the intersection of East Court and Tennyson.
According to the press release, the vehicle was occupied by driver Tims of Murray City, TN and a passenger Christina Hogeland of Ripley. Hogeland gave deputies a false social security number of a person who had been deceased for three years. Deputies then obtained her identification and a NCIC check revealed that she, along with driver Robert Tims, were wanted by Lauderdale County for violation of probation.
Hogeland began to resist arrest and then was taken into custody and charged with false report and resisting arrest.
Tims, in the drivers seat, then immediately tried to run down the officers attempting to remove him from the vehicle and fled the scene in the 2000 model grey Chevy impala.
A deputy then attempted to stop the vehicle again with the Tims refusing to stop. The vehicle continue traveling down Hwy. 51 South at speeds of 70 mph. The vehicle traveled into Lauderdale County accelerating to a speed of 100 mph in an attempt to evade the deputy.
The suspect vehicle then experienced a flat tire and decreased its speed to 65 mph. The suspect vehicle then crossed the roadway proceeding south in the northbound lane of traffic, a deputy then observed oncoming vehicles near the Halls exit and then made the decision to remove the vehicle from the roadway by conducting a pit maneuver on the fleeing vehicle placing the vehicle in the ditch with minor damage to the patrol unit.
Tims immediately fled on foot and was arrested by deputies after a short foot pursuit. Tims was charged with Evading Arrest, Resisting Arrest, Reckless Endangerment, and Aggravated Assault.
Sheriff Box said Tims reportedly didn’t have a recent permanent address and had been sleeping in his car the past 30 days and he did not have any notable stolen property in his possession at the time of arrest. Deputies are still searching locations for property taken from the recent thefts.
If anyone has information about these individuals or any of these thefts, they are encouraged to call the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office at 731-285-2802 or Crime Stoppers at 731-285- 8477.
While on patrol in the sting operation, deputies also arrested three other persons for meth possession.
Dyer Co. Sheriff’s Office photo.