Jamar Marquis Goff, the 23-year-old foster son of Ree Drummond—widely known as “The Pioneer Woman”—was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, following an early morning encounter that culminated in felony assault charges and narcotics possession, according to court documents filed in Jefferson County.
The Bottom Line
The Arrest Date: Goff was taken into custody on Monday morning, Sept. 14, following a foot chase near the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus.
The Charges: Court records show he faces second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, attempting to elude, and drug paraphernalia possession.
The Total Bond: A Jefferson County judge set Goff’s combined bond at $37,000 across all four criminal counts.
The Campus Encounter and Foot Chase
The sequence of events began near 18th Street South and 5th Avenue South, where a campus police officer responded to a suspicious person asleep on a bench. According to a sworn complaint filed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department, the officer approached the sleeping individual and initiated a conversation.
When questioned about his presence, Goff stated he was waiting to buy “Ice,” a colloquial term for methamphetamine. Initial database checks using the details provided by Goff returned no immediate records. However, the responding officer subsequently identified him through the Law Enforcement Tactical System, uncovering an active, nationwide extraditable felony failure-to-appear warrant.
Here is the kicker: when the officer moved to execute the arrest, Goff adopted an aggressive stance, broke away, and sprinted westbound along 5th Avenue South. The ensuing foot chase wound near the UAB Women & Infants Center and Children’s of Alabama, drawing multiple campus security personnel into the pursuit.
Physical Altercation and Narcotics Recovery
As officers converged to cut off his escape route near a hospital emergency entrance, Goff allegedly struck a uniformed female officer in the chin with an open-handed palm strike. Assisting law enforcement personnel quickly brought him to the ground, deploying pepper spray to subdue and handcuff him.
Following the physical altercation, investigators cleared Goff medically at UAB Hospital before transferring him to the Jefferson County Jail. A search of the immediate area and his person yielded multiple evidentiary items. Police recovered a discarded backpack, a wallet containing a CashApp card bearing his name, a glass pipe with burnt residue, and baggies holding suspected methamphetamine that field-tested positive. Additional narcotics were discovered during the formal booking process.
Legal Breakdown and Bond Specifications
Court records from Jefferson County outline four distinct criminal charges filed against Goff, complete with individual financial stipulations set by the magistrate.

| Charge Description | Legal Classification | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Second-Degree Assault (Law Enforcement Officer) | Felony | $15,000 |
| Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance | Felony | $10,000 |
| Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer | $6,000 | |
| Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia | $6,000 |
With his bond totaling $37,000, Goff remains within the Alabama correctional system pending further court appearances.
What are your thoughts on how public figures manage private family crises in the era of constant media scrutiny? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.