JONESBORO, Ark. — Former Oregon wide receiver and NFL draft pick Dillon Mitchell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fleeing and first-offense DWI in Craighead County, resolving one of two criminal cases stemming from a November 2025 pursuit.
The outcome does not resolve Mitchell’s separate case in Lawrence County, where felony fleeing and aggravated assault charges remain pending.
Mitchell, 29, entered negotiated guilty pleas Oct. 28 before Circuit Judge Scott Ellington, according to a sentencing order filed that day.
The fleeing charge, originally filed as a felony, was reduced to a Class A misdemeanor. The order lists a 12-month suspended imposition of sentence for each conviction, with no additional jail time imposed. Mitchell received credit for one day served.
Charges of refusal to submit to a chemical test and reckless driving were dropped. The order also assessed a $700 fine, $150 in court costs and a $40 booking fee.
Lawrence County Case Remains Pending
Mitchell still faces three charges in Lawrence County stemming from the same Nov. 17, 2025, incident:
- Fleeing in a vehicle under circumstances creating a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury, a Class C felony.
- Aggravated assault, a Class D felony.
- Reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor.
The Lawrence County case is scheduled for a motion and plea hearing Nov. 2, with trial scheduled for Nov. 16.
The pursuit crossed county lines, resulting in separate criminal cases in the Second Judicial District in Craighead County and the Third Judicial District in Lawrence County.
Pursuit Reached Reported Speeds of 130 MPH
As NEA Report previously reported, the pursuit began when Black Rock Police Chief Bryan Archer reported seeing a black Ford Mustang traveling 80 mph in a 55 mph zone on U.S. 63.
According to Archer’s account, the driver accelerated after he activated his emergency lights and passed an 18-wheeler in the center turn lane. Archer lost sight of the Mustang before the Lawrence County judge radioed that a driver on his property on County Road 504 was “acting crazy.”
Archer reported that the Mustang subsequently approached his patrol vehicle head-on before swerving through a field. The driver returned to U.S. 63, made a U-turn that nearly caused another head-on collision and continued south, with reported speeds reaching 130 mph.
The pursuit continued into Craighead County, where Arkansas State Police Cpl. Jeffrey Irvin joined. According to Irvin’s report, the Mustang exceeded 100 mph, passed vehicles on the shoulder and in the center lane, and ran a red light at U.S. 63 and U.S. 63B.
The chase entered Interstate 555. Near mile marker 47, the driver attempted to reach the Washington Avenue exit from the left lane, lost control and struck a metal exit sign, according to the report. Mitchell was arrested after the vehicle stopped.
NEA Report subsequently identified Mitchell as the professional football player and former Oregon standout. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft, and he later played in the Canadian Football League.
Mitchell is presumed innocent of the pending Lawrence County charges unless and until proven guilty.
After a comment by reader Justin Blackburn, NEA Report confirmed the identification by matching the birthdate in the arrest record with publicly available information from ESPN.com.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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