Malden man sentenced to prison on aggravated fleeing and stealing convictions

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo., (KBSI) — A Malden man has been sentenced on five felony convictions, including aggravated fleeing and stealing, according to Dunklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Dicus.

James Clopton, 36, was sentenced Feb. 9 by Judge Joshua Underwood following a jury trial held Nov. 13, 2025.

Clopton received seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on each of two counts of Class D felony aggravated fleeing, five years for Class D felony stealing and four years on each of two counts of Class E felony resisting arrest. The sentences will run concurrently.

The charges stem from a February incident in Malden. According to prosecutors, an officer with the Malden Department of Public Safety observed Clopton driving with a defective headlight and speeding. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, Clopton allegedly accelerated and fled into a residential neighborhood before abandoning the vehicle at his home and fleeing on foot.

The vehicle was towed but was reported missing from the tow lot the following morning.

Later that day, a deputy with the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office spotted Clopton driving the same vehicle. Authorities said Clopton again fled after the deputy activated emergency lights and siren, driving at a high rate of speed before abandoning the vehicle behind a residence and running into a wooded area.

Clopton was later located and taken into custody with the assistance of a drone equipped with thermal imaging technology.

“Each year, high-speed pursuits claim hundreds of lives, including law enforcement officers and innocent members of the public,” Dicus said in a statement. “In this case, officers relied on their training and available technology to safely resolve the situation.”

Dicus said the court considered Clopton’s criminal history and the seriousness of the offenses in determining the sentence.

“The sentence appropriately balances Mr. Clopton’s limited and dated criminal history against the seriousness of the offenses and the risk of reoffending,” Dicus said. “It sends a clear message that endangering the public by fleeing from law enforcement in a motor vehicle will result in meaningful consequences.”

The case was investigated by the Malden Department of Public Safety, the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.