Arizona troopers ID suspect who was shot driving semi the wrong way on I-40

Arizona authorities have released the name of a trucker who was shot by police after intentionally driving the wrong way Friday on Interstate 40 east of Flagstaff.

Shadrick Junell Crowder, 35, of Virginia, is in custody in the Coconino County Jail on eight criminal counts, including:

• Attempted first-degree murder.
• Possession of narcotic drugs.
• Possession of narcotic drugs for sale.
• Transportation of narcotic drugs for sale.
• Unlawful flight.
• Endangerment.
• Aggravated assault.
• Conspiracy.

Commercial vehicle inspection

Crowder was shot by an Arizona trooper following an attempt to flee from a traffic stop in a tractor-trailer.

According to a news release issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Crowder and another man –- 55-year-old Robert Allen Owens Jr., also of Virginia – were in a tractor-trailer on I-40 east of Flagstaff at approximately 7:35 a.m. on Oct. 25, when a trooper stopped them to conduct a commercial vehicle inspection.

The news release states that prior to the traffic stop the trooper observed the driver and front passenger suspiciously switch places with each other. During the subsequent traffic stop and inspection, police say a citizen reportedly told the trooper that one of the occupants of the commercial truck threw something into the median prior to the traffic stop. Police say they later discovered a package filled with a powdery substance in the median.

Police say that Crowder got back into the cab during the inspection and attempted to flee, resulting in an immediate pursuit by law enforcement. The truck drove through the median several times in order to avoid tire deflation devices deployed by troopers as they attempted to stop the suspect.

The release also states that during the pursuit, “the suspect attempted to run into troopers in order to avoid apprehension.”

“As the pursuit continued, the suspect alarmingly drove across the median and entered wrong-way westbound within the eastbound traffic lanes of Interstate 40,” the release states.

The pursuit came to an end when another trooper positioned himself on the Walnut Canyon Road overpass of Interstate 40 and fired a rifle at Crowder, striking him. Crowder’s truck began to decelerate before striking another commercial vehicle and coming to a stop. Injuries from the collision were minor.

A spokesman for the Arizona DPS declined to comment on the number of shots police fired during the pursuit, citing the ongoing investigation.

The release states Owens was also booked into the Coconino County Jail on charges of:

• Possession of narcotic drugs.
• Possession of narcotic drugs for sale.
• Transportation of narcotic drugs for sale.

Other crime news in Land Line Media

In October, several arrests were made in connection with a series of violent hijackings related to an alleged multimillion dollar cargo theft ring in the greater Toronto area.

InAugust, the attorney for a Missouri trucker accused of reckless homicide in a July crash that killed an Indiana mother and her twin toddlers was seeking a competency hearing to determine his client’s fitness to stand trial.