A man who set fire to national forest land when fleeing from Butler County deputies faces new charges.
Lucas G. Henson, 36, of Iron County appeared in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to a press release from the office of the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri.
Henson was indicted Dec. 6 on charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment says Henson assaulted a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer on Oct. 23, in Wayne County. On the same date, the indictment says he damaged United States property with fire and possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.
Butler County deputies were called around 11:45 a.m. Oct. 23 to the area of County Route 401, in reference to a stolen vehicle being located.
Deputies reported that when they attempted to apprehend Henson, he fled and set fire to a wooded area in Mark Twain National Forest to aid in his escape.
He was later caught by Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper James Rowe.
According to Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, the stolen vehicle, a 2007 Dodge, was recovered and the US forestry also responded to help with the fire.
Henson is currently facing charges including robbery, stealing a motor vehicle and resisting arrest in New Madrid Circuit Court related to the same incident.
Charging documents in that case, said he set three fires in Butler and Wayne counties that damaged seven to eight acres of National Forest land and pointed a crossbow at the Forest Service officer.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney
Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.