Suspect Arrested After Ozark Officer Suffers Fractured Nose During Domestic Disturbance and Pursuit
By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
OZARK— A 32-year-old Ozark man is facing felony charges after authorities say he punched an Ozark Police officer in the face, fracturing the officer’s nose, before leading law enforcement on a high-speed vehicle pursuit and fleeing on foot Sunday morning.
According to the Ozark Police Department, the incident began at approximately 10:20 a.m. Sunday, July 26, when an officer responded to the 200 block of Hillcrest Street regarding a suspicious circumstance involving William Christopher Pearson.
Police said the responding officer located Pearson after arriving on scene and attempted to make contact with him. According to the department, Pearson became agitated and refused to cooperate with the officer. When the officer attempted to detain him, police say Pearson punched the officer in the face before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
The injured officer immediately notified Dale County E-911 of the assault, prompting additional Ozark Police officers and deputies with the Dale County Sheriff’s Office to begin searching for Pearson.
A short time later, another officer located Pearson’s vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Police said Pearson refused to pull over, leading officers on a pursuit through Ozark.
Emergency dispatch communications monitored by the Chronicle indicated the pursuit traveled through several streets and intersections, including James Street, the Church Street stop sign, College Street and Newton Avenue, Union Avenue, North Parker Drive, and northbound on North Union Avenue. During the pursuit, dispatch traffic indicated the suspect’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph.
According to the Ozark Police Department, officers deployed spike strips, also known as a pursuit intervention device, successfully disabling Pearson’s vehicle. After striking the spike strips, the vehicle’s tires deflated, causing it to veer off the roadway near Jernigan Road and U.S. Highway 123 before coming to a stop.
Pearson then fled on foot, prompting officers to establish a perimeter and request assistance from K-9 units and the Dale County Wiregrass Aviation Support Program (W.A.S.P.).
Following what the department described as “an exhaustive search,” members of W.A.S.P. located Pearson lying on the ground. Officers and deputies took him into custody without incident, according to the release.
Pearson was booked into the Dale County Jail at 2:09 p.m. Sunday, July 26, 2026. Jail records show he has been charged with assault in the second degree and felony attempting to elude.
The officer injured during the initial confrontation sustained a fractured nose and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Earlier emergency dispatch communications also indicated the officer may have suffered a tooth injury. Police said Pearson was not injured during the incident.
The Ozark Police Department expressed its appreciation to the agencies that assisted in the search and arrest, including the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Patrol and K-9 Unit, the Dothan Police Department K-9 Unit and patrol officers, and the Dale County Wiregrass Aviation Support Program.
Pearson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional information has been released at this time.
Portions of this news report were assembled from a variety of sources, including an interview of a witness to the incident at Hillcrest Homes, dispatch communications, an anonymous source, and more. We have reached out to the Ozark Police Department for additional information about the initial domestic disturbance and how all of this began. We will provide an update once we receive responses to those questions.
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