Wanted man arrested following foot chase

A West Plains man was arrested by law enforcement last Tuesday morning following a foot chase. Michael B. Gillham, 28, of West Plains, had a warrant for his arrest issued after failing to appear to court on March 3 on the felony charges of receiving stolen property and delivery of a controlled substance from separate instances, according to court documents.

 

Gillham has a criminal history in Missouri going back to 2014. His past convictions include misdemeanor and felony resisting arrest, stealing - catalytic converter,  and misdemeanor failure to drive on the right half of the roadway, resulting in an accident. He did jail time for the final charge, thirty days, and was sentenced to a total of twelve years of probation on all of these charges. 

 

Deputies with the Howell County Sheriff's Office made contact with the wanted man on the morning of March 11 around 9:30 am. Gillham ignored deputies’ commands to stop and fled on foot into a nearby wooded area near K Highway and US 63. The sheriff's office deployed drone cameras at the scene and created a manned perimeter of the wooded area. The deputies were able to close the perimeter and take Gillham into custody without further incident. As of press time, Gillham was being held in the Howell County Jail on a $7,500 cash or corporate surety bond for the controlled substance charge and a $15,000 cash or corporate surety bond for the stolen property charge. He has pending additional charges for resisting arrest on Tuesday.