The man who led police on a wild chase on Cookeville Highway two years ago was sentenced last week in Criminal Court. Marty Tallent, 55, was charged with evading arrest and aggravated assault following an August 2019 incident that ended with officers ramming the man’s vehicle in order to get him to stop.
Tallent pled guilty to the evading charge and was sentenced to two years to serve, with 242 days jail credit for time served.
Smithville officers reported that Tallent rammed two police cars as he led officers on a high speed chase that spanned over 20 miles and approached speeds just short of 100 miles per hour.
The chase began when police tried to initiate a routine stop in Smithville. The driver then gunned his engine, did an about-face and began fleeing onto Congress, heading north. While maintaining speeds around 60 miles per hour much of the way, Tallent turned on the jets as he reached Hurricane Bridge, topping 80 miles per hour as he flew across the two-lane span and into the hazardous curves beyond.
Meanwhile, several other units joined the chase including Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins. Pursing officers were able cut off Tallent as he was within eye shot of Interstate 40. The end came in the form of a spin out maneuver, which saw the officer and fugitive run off Highway 56 North and into a driveway. Their wrecked cars stopped just feet from a house.
In other Criminal Court news, 43-year-old Jason Dwayne Johnson pled guilty to solicitation of a minor, a Class E felony, and was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence. He will also be listed on the state’s sex offender registry.
Christopher Keith Tyler, 45, pled guilty to an assault charge from a May 16, 2021 incident and was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days suspended to supervised probation.
On June 31, 2017, 33-year-old Wesley Scott was charged with possession of a Schedule II drug methamphetamine over .5 grams, and simple possession of a Schedule VI drug. He pled guilty to attempted possession over .5 grams and was sentenced to six years all suspended to supervised probation.
Bobby O’Conner Jr., 31, was charged with aggravated assault and violation of bond conditions from an incident on June 31, 2020. He pled guilty to the aggravated assault charge and was sentenced to five years all suspended except 180 days to serve.
On October 2, 2020, 28-year-old Tarren Kyle was charged with DUI first offense. Kyle was sentenced to 11/29 all suspended except 48 hours to serve, a $350 fine, and loss of driver’s license for one year.
