MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Southaven man was arrested on Friday after police say he started an altercation inside a Whitehaven store that eventually resulted in shots being fired.
According to police, officers were parked near the intersection of Rockdale and Millbranch when they heard gunshots coming from the Grizzly Mart at 1700 East Holmes Road. One man who was detained by officers while running from the scene stated the person responsible was driving a white pickup truck and then was able to point out the vehicle to officers as it was fleeing the scene.
Officers pursued the speeding vehicle eastbound on Hester, then on Windcrest and Homedale before the driver lost control and hit a parked Hyundai Elantra. The impact sent the vehicle flying into a nearby home.
But that reportedly didn’t bring the chase to an end.
The driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle and led police on a chase. At one point, the suspect jumped a fence to I-55 and ran across the interstate, followed closely by the officers. He was taken into custody in the northbound lanes just north of the East Holmes exit.
The suspect was identified as Keith Kent.
According to a man claiming to be the victim in this case, Kent had passed him as he made his way out of the Grizzly Mart. Kent looked at him, asked if he wanted to fight and then hit him. During the subsequent fight, the victim stated a gun fell out of Kent’s pocket and that’s when he opened fire.
Kent was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, drug possession, possession of a gun, intentionally evading arrest, evading arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to exercise due care, obstruction of a highway.
