A Shreveport man with a felony criminal history who fled police after a traffic stop and was found to possess a firearm was convicted in Caddo District Court late Thursday, April 24, 2025.
The seven-woman, five-man jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.’s court deliberated about 45 minutes before returning a unanimous guilty-as-charged verdict against Anthony Tyrone Ashley, 44, on the charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. The jury also returned a responsive guilty verdict on a misdemeanor charge of flight from an officer. The trial began Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Over the course of the trial, the District Attorney’s office called three witnesses to prove that on November 18, 2024, Ashley fled after officers working an unrelated call on Grove Street noticed a vehicle being driven with an improper license plate tag. Ashley, later identified as the driver, ignored attempts by officers to stop him and for seven minutes ignored stop signs while traveling down one- and two-lane roads, weaving into opposite lanes, and finally stopping at Poland Street. He ignored verbal police commands to stay in the car and fled. When officers captured him, they found a firearm on him. He had been previously convicted of simple Burglary in 2016 and was barred from possession of a weapon with 10 years. Police body camera and dash cams, as well as fingerprints, also were introduced at trial.
When Ashley returns to court for sentencing May 12, 205, he faces a prison term of at least five and up to 20 years at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence for the felony firearms conviction.
Assistant District Attorneys Stephen Folk-Cruthirds and Christopher Bowman prosecuted Ashley, who was defended by Katherine Ferguson and Evan McMichael.
The case was docket No. Docket 405229.
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