OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on April 29, 2025, after a three-day trial, a Christian County jury found Tonia L. Barnes guilty of Resisting Detention Creating a Substantial Risk of Death or Serious Physical Injury.  The jury also sentenced the defendant to two years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the crime.    

On October 5, 2022, an officer with the Nixa Police Department pulled the defendant’s vehicle for failing to maintain lane.  During the investigation officers feared that the defendant may be intoxicated so they asked the defendant to exit the vehicle.  The defendant refused to get out of the vehicle and instead led officers on a high-speed pursuit.  During the pursuit the defendant drove down the middle of the road, was continuously swerving and passing vehicles, and drove at high rates of speed.  The defendant continuously drove over 100 MPH on Highway 160 running multiple red lights and was clearly putting other motorists at risk.  Multiple Nixa officers assisted with the pursuit and the Nixa Police Department ultimately decided to terminate the pursuit, as the defendant entered Springfield, based upon the shear danger posed by the defendant’s reckless driving and the Nixa Police Department’s policies regarding high-speed pursuits.  

The jury deliberated for approximately three and a half hours before arriving at its guilty verdict.  The Jury also heard evidence regarding sentencing and deliberated for two hours before sentencing the defendant to two years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the crime.   

 The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jacob Benton Cantwell and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Tarek Masri.  Julie Harlan served as the Victim Advocate and Brijana Sullivan served as Legal Assistant.