A 33-year-old man was shot and killed in a standoff with law enforcement in Independence County on Sunday morning, authorities said.
The victim's identity was not released as of late Sunday.
Events began about 7:25 a.m. Sunday after an Independence County sheriff's deputy encountered the man near the Desha community along Jamestown Road, according to Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler.
The man told the deputy that he was armed, and he refused to comply with orders given by the deputy, Sadler said. A standoff ensued. Law enforcement officers with the Arkansas State Police and the sheriff's office joined the deputy at the scene, Sadler said.
"At 11 a.m., the man fired the gun at officers, who returned fire," Sadler said, adding that it was unknown who fired the fatal shot.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was sent to the state Crime Laboratory for examination.
Special agents with the Arkansas State Police criminal investigation division are leading the investigation into the shooting.
Metro on 12/26/2016