MELBOURNE, Ark. – A 29-year-old Batesville man will spend more than 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to seriously injuring Izard County Chief Deputy Steve Davidson by crashing his vehicle into the deputy’s cruiser during a one-hour pursuit last year.
Zachoria O. Henry entered his guilty plea Tuesday in Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court before Judge Tim Weaver, admitting to first-degree battery on a law enforcement officer in the line of duty (a Class Y felony), fleeing (Class C felony), and aggravated assault (Class D felony). Weaver sentenced Henry to 330 months in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, crediting him with 398 days of jail time served. Henry must also pay all court costs and $33,453.48 in restitution to AAC Risk Management Services and Izard County in $100 monthly installments upon release.
The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 20, 2024, that began around 12:40 p.m. when dispatch received a call from a local business owner in Melbourne. The owner reported a black Chevy truck without a license plate turning into the parking lot and throwing gravel onto parked cars. The victim said the suspect’s vehicle “purposely turned toward him and hit him with his fender, knocking him back.”
An Izard County deputy spotted the truck and attempted a traffic stop on Highway 69 south of Melbourne. Henry refused to yield and accelerated to high speeds, leading deputies on a chase through Mount Pleasant, Zion, Sage, and near Sidney before looping back to Mount Pleasant. The pursuit lasted approximately one hour.
When Henry’s truck turned onto Barren Fork Road—which Chief Deputy Davidson had blocked off—the vehicle “did not slow down and headed directly toward” Davidson’s patrol unit, according to Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton. Davidson fired his shotgun at the oncoming truck just before impact. The crash left Davidson with serious non-life-threatening injuries.
Henry attempted to flee on foot after the collision but was quickly captured and arrested. An Arkansas State Police investigation recovered multiple empty Coors beer cans from his vehicle. According to the affidavit, Henry admitted to drinking alcohol and ingesting illegal narcotics in the days leading up to the incident, and he confessed to intentionally colliding with Davidson’s cruiser.
ASP Special Agent Drew Widner, who investigated the case, noted Henry’s admissions during the probe. Melton commended the rapid response that ended the chase without further harm, emphasizing the dangers faced by deputies.
Henry, with no prior felony convictions listed in court records, faces a parole eligibility after serving a portion of his sentence under Arkansas guidelines for violent felonies. The sentencing provides some measure of justice for Davidson, who underwent treatment for his injuries and has returned to duty.
