Caddo deputies got their man Tuesday night after searching throughout the day for the suspect involved in a litany of crimes, said Sheriff Steve Prator.

James Allen Shultz, 33, of Fouke, AR, was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center after stealing a car and leading patrol deputies on a high-speed chase in Oil City. He was arrested for illegal use of a weapon from a vehicle and for being both an in-state and out-of-state fugitive. Sheriff’s Detective Nathan Everett said he expects more felony charges to be placed on Shultz when his investigation is complete.

Everett said Caddo sheriff’s detectives began looking for Shultz Tuesday morning after learning he was wanted by authorities in Montgomery County, AR. In the meantime, Shultz showed up at a residence on Ferry Lake School Road where he got into an altercation with a man living there. The man said Shultz threatened him with a bat but fled the scene when others at the home came to the victim’s defense. Later that morning, he saw Shultz again as he was driving down South Land Avenue in Oil City. Shultz is accused of firing a weapon at the victim and striking his vehicle. The man turned his vehicle around, and he and Shultz became involved in a head-on collision. Both Shultz and the man abandoned their vehicles and fled the scene.

Late Tuesday evening, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip from a 911 caller who said Shultz was in a vehicle and provided his location. When deputies arrived, Shultz jumped into the driver’s seat of the vehicle and fled, leading deputies on a high-speed pursuit before wrecking his vehicle at South Kerley Street and East Savage Avenue. Shultz then fled on foot across the railroad tracks where he jumped into a running vehicle while the owner was standing nearby. He drove the stolen vehicle at high speeds to the end of Ferry Lake Road where deputies attempted to take him into custody. Shultz tried to run over two of the deputies and continued on, although his front tires were punctured with a spike strip deployed by deputies.

Shultz tried to avoid a second spike strip but got his vehicle stuck in a ditch in the 9600 block of Ferry Lake Road. He fled into the woods but was apprehended by Deputy Ryan Chapman, Deputy Brock Bonds, Deputy John Cambell and Cpl. Greg McGee.

Shultz was checked for injuries at Ochsner LSU Health and released to be booked into CCC. Everett said additional charges will likely be added today.

For questions regarding this press release, please contact Bobby Herring at (318) 422-9281