Felons Ram Police Car, Arrested with Loaded Gun and Drugs

Two Mountain View men remain in Howell County Jail after a violent encounter with police on April 21. According to a probable cause statement filed by Sergeant Michael Pauly of the Mountain View Police Department, he observed Devin Cooper, 25, of Mountain View, riding a passenger in a vehicle. Cooper was known to the officer to have an active warrant from Shannon County for possession of a controlled substance. Sgt. Pauly attempted to initiate a traffic stop at the intersection of Ridgeway and State Route W, but the driver of the car made an illegal U-turn and accelerated to 100 mph. Sgt. Pauly terminated the pursuit. 

 

Later that afternoon, the officer encountered the vehicle pull into a driveway on State Route W. Sgt. Pauly used his patrol car to block the vehicle in, but, “the driver looked at [Sgt. Pauly], accelerated, ramming the front of [the] patrol unit.” Sgt. Pauly was exiting the vehicle as the impact occurred. He drew his weapon, ordered the driver to stop, and requested backup. 

The driver was identified as Bobby Blair, 41, of Mountain View. 

 

In plain view on the console, there was a loaded 12-gauge shotgun with a shell in the chamber. Also in plain view was a water pipe that, by the officer’s observation, had recently been used to smoke methamphetamine.

 

Additional methamphetamine was found in the vehicle as well. 

Both men were arrested at the scene. 

 

Both Blair and Cooper are convicted felons. Blair was convicted of a class B burglary charge in 2009 in Washington state, and Cooper was convicted of a class E felony charge of resisting arrest in Texas County in 2018. Probable cause statements for both men called for additional felony charges for possession of the firearm. 

 

On April 21, Cooper was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. 

 

The same day, the Howell County Prosecuting Attorney’s office charged Blair, the driver, with six felonies: first degree assault of a special victim, armed criminal action, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a firearm, and resisting arrest. 

 

As of press time, both Cooper and Blair remain in custody. Cooper has a bond of $5,000 in this matter. Blair’s bond is currently set at $50,000.