A Memphis woman is facing a stack of felony charges after police say she dragged an officer with her car during a traffic stop Thursday, then led officers on a high-speed chase up Interstate 240 that ended in a crash at Airways Boulevard and Arlington Avenue. Kierstyn Page was taken into custody after the pursuit and now faces charges including aggravated assault with a vehicle, aggravated assault with a bat, evading arrest, resisting detention and drug possession.
According to Action News 5, the chain of events began when officers responded to a disturbance in a parking lot on Corporate Avenue, where, per the affidavit, Page was involved in an altercation with a man armed with a handgun while she herself was armed with a bat. Officers later spotted Page and the man together in a silver sedan, the affidavit states, and an officer conducted a traffic stop.
Traffic Stop Turns Physical
Page resisted arrest during that stop, according to the affidavit cited by the station, and police say she then dragged the officer with her car as she fled. The Memphis Police Department says the officer suffered injuries to his right elbow and knees as a result. Officers found marijuana in Page's possession, according to the report, adding a drug possession charge to the growing list.
From there, Page drove west on Nonconnah Boulevard before heading north on Interstate 240, according to the affidavit, eventually exiting at Airways Boulevard. The pursuit ended when she struck a Chevrolet Silverado at the intersection of Airways Boulevard and Arlington Avenue. Police say she was tased and taken into custody at the scene.
Why Officers Could Give Chase
Memphis police policy only allows officers to initiate a vehicle pursuit when they have probable cause to believe someone in the fleeing vehicle committed a violent felony, according to the Institute for Public Service Reporting. The initial report of an armed confrontation involving a bat and a handgun on Corporate Avenue would have met that threshold. The outlet also notes that MPD officers engage in roughly 144 vehicular pursuits a year, or about two to three a week, under the department's guidelines.
Steep Penalties Under State Law
Page's charges carry serious statutory weight in Tennessee. Aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer involving a vehicle is a Class C felony punishable by three to 15 years in prison and fines up to $15,000, according to FindLaw. Separately, evading arrest that creates a risk of death or injury to officers or bystanders is a Class D felony carrying two to 12 years and a mandatory minimum of 60 days confinement, per Justia.
Tennessee's Back the Blue Act, which took effect in 2024, also strips judges of discretion in officer-assault cases, mandating a minimum 60-day jail term and a non-waivable $10,000 fine, according to Harvey Criminal Defense Lawyers. The marijuana possession charge, meanwhile, is a Class A misdemeanor under state code punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail with a mandatory minimum $250 fine.
Booking and What Remains Unknown
As a female arrestee in Shelby County, Page would be processed and held at the Jail East facility on Haley Road rather than the men's facility at 201 Poplar Avenue, according to All 'N One Bail Bonds. Defendants facing charges involving bodily harm typically face a mandatory 12 to 16-hour holding period before a judicial commissioner sets bond conditions, the bail bond service notes.
It remains unclear what happened to the man who was allegedly armed with a handgun during the initial Corporate Avenue disturbance, including whether he faces charges of his own. The full extent of the injured officer's condition following medical evaluation has also not been detailed, nor has any bond amount been made public for Page.
A Familiar Corridor for Chase Crashes
The crash site at Airways Boulevard and Arlington Avenue sits along a corridor that has seen repeated high-speed pursuit dangers. A THP chase crash on Airways Boulevard killed a Memphis photographer last month, underscoring the risks that come with high-speed pursuits through that part of the city.
