Bombers receiver arrested after high-speed chase in Arkansas

A Blue Bombers wide receiver set to become a free agent this winter was arrested after a high-speed chase in Arkansas last week.

NEA Report, a news service in northeast Arkansas, said court documents show Dillon Mitchell, 28, was arrested Nov. 17. Part of an affidavit by state trooper Cpl. Jeffrey Irvin posted on NEA Report’s website states that a chase involving a black Ford Mustang started in Lawrence County.

Irvin said he saw the car speed past him on U.S. Route 63 and tried to stop it, but the driver kept going at speeds of more than 160 km/h. The driver passed vehicles on the shoulder, went through a stop light and narrowly missed a truck, the affidavit said.

The driver lost control while trying to take an exit along a different highway, and the car hit a metal sign. He has been charged with eight offences, including a felony charge of fleeing police and driving-related offences, the affidavit states.

“This morning, we learned of an incident involving Dillon Mitchell that took place last week. The club is gathering additional information and will not be providing further comment at this time,” a spokesman for the Canadian Football League team said in an email Thursday.

Mitchell had 19 catches, 193 receiving yards, one touchdown catch and three punt returns for 32 yards for the Bombers in 2025. He signed a one-year, $148,000-contract to join the team on Jan. 13, days after he was released by the Edmonton Elks. He played in 45 games over three years for Edmonton.

Mitchell did not dress for the Bombers until Week 10 after failing to impress in training camp. He had a season-high 67 yards on three catches in a home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 17.

“It definitely felt amazing,” Mitchell later said. “I felt like I could feel all the energy, especially from the fans, as it was my first time scoring at Princess Auto Stadium.”

Although Mitchell did not play for the first half of the regular season, head coach Mike O’Shea said after that game that the receiver has “always been good.”

“It was just a matter of him knowing what we’re doing and getting comfortable in the offence,” O’Shea said.

Mitchell, who is originally from Memphis, Tenn., played for the Oregon Ducks in college and led the Pac-12 Conference in receiving yards in 2018. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2019 National Football League draft and spent parts of two seasons on that team’s practice squad.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca