Jones was being held at the Crawford County jail.
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Jones also shot a robot and a police dog before surrendering about 11:45 a.m. The dog apparently ran into a heavily wooded area nearby and had not been found as of Wednesday afternoon.
Sheriff’s Cpl. William “Bill” Cooper was shot in the neck after responding to the report of a domestic disturbance near Greenwood, NBC News reported.
Spells was treated and released from Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith.
A white male suspected of fatally shooting a sheriff’s deputy and wounding a police chief was taken into custody on August 10 in Sebastian County, Arkansas (video below). Police had been called after Jones allegedly pointed a gun at his father.
Officials say law enforcement were ambushed when they responded to the home.
‘Today’s shooting incident. tragically illustrates the dangers our law enforcement officers face each and every day to keep us safe, ‘ Hutchinson said in a statement. Formal charges have not yet been filed and more charges are likely to be added.
BILLY JONES: Identified by media as a suspect in police shooting today.
Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells, who was also shot at by Jones, was grazed in the forehead and was released from the hospital, Hollenbeck said.
Cooper died. Spells suffered superficial wounds. He was around age 65 and was planning to retire soon, Hollenbeck said.
The sheriff said Jones was due in a Fort Smith courtroom Wednesday for a hearing on whether a previous suspended sentence should be revoked.
When officers arrived on the scene, Bill Jones opened fire with an assault-style rifle, KHBS reported. He said Cooper had been a deputy since 2001. “I did a ride-along with some police officers the other day and got to talk to them”. He has not yet been charged. Negotiations were also attempted during the standoff but Jones “never actively responded to negotiations”, Hollenbeck said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he didn’t have details about the shooting but said it underscored the danger that the state’s law enforcement officers face.
Jones barricaded himself in his father’s house for almost four hours while authorities waited outside. The extent of the sheriff’s deputy’s injuries wasn’t immediately known.
Two police officers have been shot in Sebastian County in western Arkansas.
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A military veteran and 20-year member of Arkansas law enforcement, Deputy Cooper dedicated his life to protecting our state and our country. Police said he may have had a court date on Wednesday.
