2 officers cleared of killing escaping prisoner from Arkansas prison

Two correctional officers were justified in the use of deadly force against Arkansas Department of Correction inmate Christopher Wilson on April 7, said Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter in a letter to the Arkansas State Police.

Wilson, an inmate at the Varner Unit in Grady, died after a correctional officer identified in the letter only as "Thrower" shot Wilson in the back after the inmate exited the prison fence through the sally port and attempted to get on a horse. That shot killed him, the letter states.

Wilson had ignored commands to stop. Another officer, identified only as "Green," also fired shots at Wilson, which missed.

"That closes that case," Hunter said in an interview. "There will be no prosecution of the correctional officers that were involved."

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has agreed to withhold the officers' first names, because of security concerns cited by the Correction Department.

In the letter, Hunter cited A.C.A. 5-2-610(b)(1), which states that a law enforcement officer is justified in using deadly physical force upon another person if the officer "reasonably believes" that it is necessary to "[e]ffect an arrest or to prevent the escape from custody of an arrested person whom the law enforcement officer reasonably believes has committed or attempted to commit a felony and is presently armed or dangerous."

Wilson, formerly of Saltillo in Faulkner County, was serving a double sentence of life without parole for the 2002 murders of 26-year-old Pamela Kay Reed and her 8-month-old son, Lucas, on the night of Dec. 27, 2002.

"It is my finding that Officers Green and Thrower were reasonable in believing Wilson was a convicted felon and was dangerous, and therefore, were justified in using deadly physical force to prevent Wilson's escape from the Varner Unit," Hunter said in the letter.

According to the letter, Wilson was at his assigned job in the laundry room when he fell in line behind a hoe squad on its way to the field. He was noticed by an officer and told to return, the letter states.

Wilson started running and exited the prison's fence. After he ignored commands to stop, Green, on duty in the guard tower, fired one shot at Wilson, which missed, according to the letter.

Green lowered her rifle to Thrower on the ground. While Wilson continued to ignore commands to stop and ran to a horse barn, Thrower fired two shots, which missed, the letter states.

Wilson attempted to get on a horse, but was knocked off by a Lt. Burchfield, who was in a truck. Wilson fell to the ground and dropped a shank and a 3-hole punch, but then got up and continued to run from the prison, according to the letter. Thrower then fired the shot that caused Wilson's death, the letter states.

Metro on 04/27/2016

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