PINE BLUFF — Two Pine Bluff police officers placed on administrative leave in the shooting of a Pine Bluff man last week were to return to work Thursday, police said Wednesday.
Officers Rick Bunting and Nate Smith shot Aubrey Rook, 39, on July 21 after Rook pointed a gun at Bunting and walked toward him, according to a police report.
The officers believed that the suspect “posed an immediate threat to their lives,” the report said.
Bunting and Smith were immediately placed on administrative leave, which is normal procedure when an officer is in a shooting.
After an investigation by the Police Department’s office of professional standards, prosecutors decided the shooting was justified, said Lt.
Kelvin Sergeant, who is head of the standards office.
Sergeant and James Rook, Rook’s brother, said the wounded Rook remained in serious condition Wednesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter said prosecutors are reviewing a case file concerning a potential aggravated-assault charge against Rook. No formal charges had been filed as of Wednesday afternoon, Hunter said.
At 9:20 p.m. July 21, officers responded to 818 W. 28th St. after a report of a disturbance. Bunting found Rook south of that address, standing near a fence on Elm Street and holding a pistol, the police report said.
Bunting radioed the officers to come to his location, where he had his gun drawn at Rook, who was also holding agun, the police report said.
When the officers arrived, Smith also drew his gun and pointed it at Rook, the police report said.
Officers ordered Rook to drop his weapon on several occasions, the report said. Rook dropped his weapon once, then picked it back up, dropped it again and then picked it up again, the report said.
After picking the gun up the second time, Rook pointed the weapon at Bunting and walked toward him, prompting Bunting and Smith to shoot at Rook several times, the report said.
Once Rook was down, the report said, officers ran to him. A third officer, Phillip Gober, kicked the gun out of Rook’s hand while Bunting called for an ambulance, the report said.
Efforts to reach Bunting and Smith were unsuccessful Wednesday. Neither officer’s telephone number is listed.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11 on 07/30/2010