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Authorities Capture Arkansas Man Suspected of Shooting Police Chief, Sheriff’s Deputy

It is not clear what led to the shooting, which happened between the towns of Greenwood and Midland, about150 miles west of Little Rock.

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Hollenback said Cooper was 65 and “dynamic”.

Sebastian County Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck told NBC News that Jones may have been wearing body armor.

No details about the officers’ conditions have been released.

The sheriff said Jones wanted to cause a “ruckus” ahead of a court appearance.

“We ask that you please pray for the officers and their families that were involved in this morning’s shooting”, The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office wrote. Grubbs said it appeared Jones was waiting for the officers to arrive and had full intentions to inflict violence.

The chief and the deputy were brought by ambulance to Sparks Medical Center, a hospital official confirmed.

After a standoff at the house where he had barricaded himself, Jones eventually exited with his hands up. At least three helicopters were also sent to the scene.

He reportedly used a semi-automatic rifle to shoot at the police when they attempted to apprehend him.

James Markward, who lives nearby, said he heard a commotion early Wednesday.

‘It woke me up this morning, the gunshots. “Of course I didn’t know what was going on”, Markward told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

He said a suspect is now in custody.

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Jones pinned down officers from multiple departments outside the house for hours and shot a police dog and a robot during the confrontation, 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.

US Representative Bruce Westerman, whose district includes part of Sebastian County, echoed the governor’s support for police state-wide.

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“You know we had the trooper that was in the frightful accident up there just recently, and it sounds like he’s going to be OK”, Westerman said.

Scene of Sebastian County shooting 5NEWS