Bedford Man Caught After High-Speed Chase Near School and Narrow Escapes

The multi-day manhunt for 26-year-old Cody Joe Stannard of Bedford has ended after he was tracked down and booked into the Lawrence County Jail Thursday evening. Stannard was wanted after initiating a chaotic foot and vehicle pursuit earlier in the week that endangered multiple city neighborhoods.

The Initial Incident & School Zone Flight

The incident began around 2:53 p.m. on Monday, July 13, 2026, when a Bedford police officer spotted Stannard—who had an active arrest warrant—near 16th and E Streets. When the officer attempted to detain him down the road, Stannard bolted on foot before doubling back to his black Ford F-150. The officer drew his weapon and ordered him out, but Stannard started the truck and tore away.

Stannard led police on a high-speed vehicle pursuit, showing zero regard for public safety:

• School Zone Endangerment: Stannard drove at a high rate of speed the wrong way down 20th Street directly in front of Lincoln Elementary School.
• Reckless Driving: He blew through a total of 13 stop signs and drove the wrong way down one-way streets twice.
• Evading Traffic: He aggressively entered the heavily congested intersection of 16th and M Streets, forcing multiple drivers to swerve to avoid being struck.

Motorcyclist Forced to Dive Out of Way

Officers temporarily lost sight of the vehicle due to the extreme danger of the pursuit. Bystanders soon alerted police that the truck had crossed Lincoln Avenue toward a dead end.

Investigators spoke to a female motorist in the area who had been attempting to move her motorcycle. She stated that Stannard's truck came barreling directly toward her, forcing her to quickly throw herself and her motorcycle out of the roadway to avoid being run over.

K9 Track and Abandoned Clothes

Officers subsequently located the black Ford F-150 abandoned in a backyard in the 1100 block of 10th Street. A perimeter was established, and a K9 tracking unit was deployed. Just east of the truck in a wooded area, officers located the exact white shirt and red hat Stannard had been wearing, which he had stripped off to evade police. Forensic teams processed the truck's steering wheel and handles for DNA before the vehicle was impounded.

Follow-up searches at his apartment and a complex in Mitchell initially yielded negative results.

The Arrest and Enhanced Charges

Stannard’s run from the law ended at 7:10 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026, when Bedford officers successfully apprehended him. In addition to the original felony flight charges from the chase, Stannard faces enhanced charges for causing bodily injury to an officer during his arrest, alongside an active adult probation violation hold.

Current Jail Charges:
🔹 Resisting Law Enforcement – Causes Bodily Injury (Felony)
🔹 Resisting Law Enforcement – Fleeing in a Vehicle (Felony)
🔹 Probation Violation (Adult)
🔹 Pending additional charges: Criminal Recklessness, Reckless Driving, and 15 traffic infractions.

Inmate ID: 13127 Case Number: 260713017Arresting Agency: Bedford Police Department

Disclaimer: All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.