A Blytheville man is charged with six counts of aggravated assault after he allegedly tried to run over a group of people with his vehicle.
Friday at 5:12 p.m., police were called to the 1000 block of South Lilly for a report of people fighting. When police arrived, they found no one fighting and left the scene.
A short time later, officers were called back to the same address, where a white SUV had apparently ran into the residence and several people were yelling and screaming.
A witness at the scene told police that the driver of the vehicle, Veron Gillespie, had backed into the residence while allegedly trying to run over Jerome Tramble, and almost struck five children that were playing in front of the residence.
Tramble told police that Gillespie was mad at Ronald Smith because Smith apparently hit Gillespie, so Gillespie allegedly went inside the house and got a knife, came back outside and attempted to chase Smith with the knife, pushing Rita Alexander down on the ground while getting into his vehicle.
Gillespie then reportedly put the vehicle in reverse and accelerated, attempting to run over Tramble. Tramble ran to the residence to get away, and had to pull the five children out of the way of the speeding vehicle, with the vehicle missing the children by just inches, according to Tramble. The children involved were ages 2, 3, 4, 9, and 12.
Veron Gillespie was then arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated assault. A search of the vehicle produced the knife that Gillespie allegedly had in his possession while chasing Smith.