After the initial onslaught was over, Jones allegedly ran off into some woods that were nearby to escape. Corporal Cooper has been employed with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office since 2001 and served five years with the Fort Smith Police Department.
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Community members who said they knew Deputy Cooper described him as a amusing and kind hearted man.
A Sebastian County sheriff’s deputy was killed and the Hackett police chief was injured Wednesday morning when they were met by gunfire while responding to a disturbance call in the county. Cooper was pronounced dead at Sparks Hospital at approximately 1:15 p.m.
“Immediately when three officers got [to the house] they were basically ambushed, ” Sgt. Daniel Grubbs with the Fort Smith Police Department told KFSM.
Court records show Jones has had a drug conviction in state court along with a handful of minor charges, such as speeding and public intoxication, in nearby Greenwood. He said the officers from several different departments had no idea what they were walking into. Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells suffered superficial wounds after apparently being grazed by a bullet.
At around 11:46 am local time, Jones chose to surrender to law enforcement.
Police said Jones barricaded himself inside a home on Highway 253. Jones also shot at a police robot “used to gather intelligence from the scene”, he said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson stressed the need for the community to be supportive of police and said the shooting demonstrates the danger law enforcement faces.
Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said his agency is assisting but he referred all questions to Sebastian County authorities.
Before the alleged ambush of the police officers on Wednesday, the suspect’s most recent brush with the law was in February 2016, when he was charged with “possession of firearms by certain persons, possession of a controlled substance, scheduled I and II”.
Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Philip Pevehouse told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2b6eJqC ) that officers have surrounded a home near Hackett, about 115 miles west of Little Rock. A bomb squad was also deployed to clear the home. “He loved his job”, Hollenbeck said.
“He had community policing in his heart, and he was a ideal example of how we all want our law enforcement officers to be”, Hollenbeck said.
On behalf of all Arkansans, I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to Deputy Cooper’s loved ones and our entire law enforcement community. More than likely, now that Cooper has died from his gunshot injury to his neck, Jones will also be facing capital murder charges.
The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office posted, “We ask that you please pray for the officers and their families that were involved in this morning’s shooting”. He added, “It just appears this guy was waiting on us to get here”. Sebastian County Judge David Hudson says both were taken to a hospital.
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“We’re mindful of the loss to the wife and family, and our hearts go out to them and our prayers”, Hudson said.
