From the Bell County Sheriff's Department -
On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Bell County Sgt. Frank Foster was on routine patrol on Highway 119 just outside of Pineville when he saw a man on an ATV traveling on the shoulder of the roadway. Sgt. Foster knew the individual 47-year-old Ricky G. Adkins to have warrants for his arrest.
Sgt. Foster turned around attempting to make a traffic stop on Adkins and he traveled onto the roadway for over a mile turning off on Old Bell High Road at a high rate of speed. As he fled from deputies he tried to stop abruptly and cause the deputies to strike him or swerve into oncoming traffic.
Adkins continued to speed down the roadway turning into the former Bell County bus garage parking lot getting stuck between a fence and a building. Adkins then jumped from the ATV and fled on foot for a short distance then jumped in the Cumberland River. After a short period of wading down the river, Adkins gave up and was taken into custody by Sgt. Frank Foster and K-9 Sgt. Adam Southern. Located in the ATV was a syringe.
Adkins was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center charged with ATV vehicles violations, fleeing or evading police (motor vehicle), fleeing or evading police (on foot), wanton endangerment - 1st degree police officer, reckless driving, buying or possessing drug paraphernalia. He was also served warrants for (2) two counts of persistent felony offender, trafficking in controlled substance - 1st degree, 1st offense greater than 2 grams (Methamphetamine), trafficking Marijuana (less than 8 oz.) - 1st offense, and failure to appear.