Fayetteville Man, Shot In February, Arrested On Meth Charges

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — A man who was shot in the head at a Fayetteville apartment complex in February has been arrested on drug charges.

Tyler Yeakley, 31, of Fayetteville was arrested Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the arrest report, Yeakley was spotted by a patrol officer near the Holly Street Lodge Apartments attempting to avoid the officer. The officer said he saw Yeakley discard something in the bushes as he tried to avoid the officer.

The officer said in the report that he knew of Yeakley’s lengthy history with law enforcement, so he stopped him to question him about why he tried to avoid the officer.

When the officer stopped him, he saw Yeakley was holding his phone and an L&M cigarettes package in his hand. After speaking briefly with Yeakley, the officer searched the bushes for the discarded item and found an identical cigarette package, this one containing meth, the report said.

The officer spoke with Yeakley again, who admitted the package was his, the report said.

Yeakley was shot in the face on Feb. 27 at the Bedford Loop Apartments in Fayetteville. The bullet entered his eye socket and lodged near his spine, where it remains.

Lee Massey, 29, faces charges of first-degree battery, possession of a firearm by certain persons, first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and is described as a habitual offender. He fled the scene and was later found in Oklahoma before being extradited back to Arkansas.

Yeakley spoke with 5NEWS six weeks after he was shot, saying he got “clean” while in the hospital recovering from the shooting.

Yeakley has an arrest history dating back to 2008 that includes a variety of charges ranging from harassment to burglary to drug possession.

He is currently in the Washington County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond.