SPRINGDALE — A simple trip to the grocery store for milk turned into a life-threatening event for one resident.
Spring Craddock of Springdale said she stopped by the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 3553 E. Robinson Ave. for milk Wednesday morning. She was checking out when she heard five or six shots outside the store.
Police officers fired the shots at a man who pulled a gun on them, according to a Police Department news release.
Nobody was hurt in the incident, but Rainbow Kilo Rasphoumy, 40, of 721 E. Lowell Ave. in Cave Springs, was arrested in connection with felony aggravated assault, first-degree assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest.
Police said Rasphoumy struggled with officers then pulled a gun after they stopped his vehicle at 7:56 a.m. The weapon, when recovered, was found to be a plastic toy gun with the orange tip painted black.
One of three officers at the scene fired about seven shots, according to officials. The shots hit Rasphoumy’s van, but he was not injured. Police, including crisis negotiators and the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics team, surrounded the van. Rasphoumy surrendered after about 45 minutes.
Craddock’s car was parked across from Rasphoumy’s van.
“What gets to me the most is I was getting ready to leave. I would have been right in the line of fire,” she said. “I could have been shot.”
The incident began after a 911 call from 2598 Cider Drive, police said. The caller said her uncle was outside the house and wouldn’t go away. The caller described the van and said her uncle had mental problems.
Officers found the van at the intersection of Robinson Avenue and Butterfield Coach Road. Rasphoumy, the driver, pulled into the parking lot of the Neighborhood Market, according to a news release.
David Aguilar of Springdale said he watched the situation unfold from the parking lot of Legacy National Bank, 2081 Butterfield Coach Road. He said his mother works at Neighborhood Market and sent him a text asking him to call 911.
“When we called, officers were already on the scene,” he said.
Rasphoumy got out of the van, then climbed back in and tried to hit officers with a recorder, a plastic musical instrument. An officer shot him with a stun gun, but Rasphoumy responded by pulling a toy gun out of a holster and pointing it toward the officers, according to the news release.
The officers retreated after the shots were fired, police said. The market and the bank were closed.
Craddock said 10 to 15 customers, including some children, waited with employees at the back of the store in the meat department during the standoff. She said everyone was calm.
“My stomach was in knots, and my arms were shaking on the inside,” Craddock said. “I might break down crying when I get home.”
Karen Hampton, vice president of human resources for Legacy Bank, said the Springdale branch treated the incident as if it were a robbery. She said the doors were locked and everyone stayed inside.
The bank opens at 7:30 a.m. for drive-through customers, but the lobby was not open. Only employees were inside at the time of the incident.
Emergency medical technicians from the Springdale Fire Department examined Rasphoumy after he surrendered. Probes from the stun gun were removed, but he was otherwise unharmed, authorities said.
Police examined Rasphoumy’s GMC van after the arrest and found it almost full of his belongings. Two ducks, three chickens and three parakeets were removed and taken to the city animal shelter, according to the release. The animals appeared to be in good condition, said Courtney Kremer, animal services director.
The van had several bullet holes, with two windows broken on the driver’s side. The van was decorated with plastic flowers on the back door and the radio antenna. The bumpers, running boards and outside rear-view mirror mounts were painted in rainbow colors.
Signs in the windows of the van advertised Rasphoumy’s work as a fantasy artist.
Police impounded the vehicle. The officer who fired the shots is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The action is a standard procedure, according to the release.
Officers have had contact with Rasphoumy before, according to Capt. Mike Peters. He's been arrested in the city before in connection with minor infractions, including failure to appear in court for a traffic ticket. At that time, Rasphoumy’s address was 134 Madison County 7105 in Huntsville.
The investigation is ongoing.
Christie Swanson contributed to this report.