TOP STORY OF THE DAY: From suspicious person to active warrant and drug arrest

Clay County Justice Center - Armstrong

On Sunday night, an alert patrol deputy checked on a suspicious person possibly wanted on an active warrant, which led to a foot pursuit and a drug arrest.

Traveling west on National Avenue, Brazil, around 11:30 p.m., a Clay County Sheriff’s Department deputy saw a white male walking on the north side of National Ave. The male was familiar to the officer due to an active warrant out of Clay County.

Pulling his fully marked patrol car into the Sparklight Internet parking lot, the deputy watched the male cross the street to Forest Park Plaza. The officer pulled his vehicle into the plaza to talk to the male. The deputy visually identified the male as Cody Allen Armstrong, 30, of Brazil.

When the deputy asked if he was Armstrong, the male said no. Armstrong ran east toward McDonald’s as the officer began to exit his car to speak with the male.

That is when the officer exited his car and began a foot pursuit with assistance from arriving deputies. Verbal warnings for Armstrong to stop or be tased were ignored as the foot pursuit neared South Davis Street.

The officers caught up to the suspect and took him to the ground, but he resisted physically. Another warning about being tazed if he did not calm down and be taken into custody.

During the brawl with officers, Armstrong allegedly attempted to grab an officer’s gun holster. That’s when Armstrong was stunned to gain compliance and put in handcuffs.

A search of the foot pursuit path did not locate anything. However, a pat down of Armstrong’s clothing found a plastic bag with an off-white-crystal-like substance inside that field tested positive for methamphetamine. A needle was also discovered in his pants.

Armstrong was taken to the hospital to be medically cleared and treated for a small injury to his forehead before booking.

Armstrong was booked on preliminary felony charges of Possession of a hypodermic syringe or needle(F6), Possession of methamphetamine - less than 5 grams(F6), and Resisting law enforcement(MA) in Clay Superior Court.

Armstrong also faces a felony charge for Strangulation(F6) and A misdemeanor for Domestic Battery in Clay Circuit Court from an incident earlier this month and probation violations in two separate older cases in Clay Superior Court.

According to court documents, Armstrong has four separate bonds, two “no bonds” in the Superior cases and two consecutive $7,000 cash bonds for the new charges. Armstrong remains incarcerated at the Clay County Justice Center, awaiting formal court proceedings.