LITTLE FLOCK — A man shot two people and barricaded himself into an apartment that led to a four-hour standoff with police early Friday morning.
Police responded to a 1 a.m. report of a disturbance at an apartment at Fairways at Lost Springs, off Dixieland Road, Little Flock Police Chief Jesse Martinez said.
One person was in stable condition at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, and the other person had been airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo.
Police have not released the names of the victims. The suspect was taken to the Benton County Jail, Martinez said.
Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith came to the scene later Friday morning and talked with police and Sheriff’s Office deputies. He then went into the apartment.
The suspect barricaded himself in a second story apartment in Building C. A woman and two small children were in the apartment with him, Martinez said. The SWAT team and negotiators with the Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.
The man released the woman and two children within the first hour of the standoff, but he remained in the apartment, Martinez said.
Tear gas was fired into the apartment around 5 a.m. and the man came outside shortly after that, Martinez said.
“We were looking for a way to resolve it before people started getting up and going to work and children leaving for school,” Martinez said. “It’s hard to stay in there with that stuff.”
Police evacuated buildings B, C, D and a nearby house, Martinez said.
Cody Crow, who lives in Building B, said he arrived home after the shooting, just as police blocked the road.
Crow could not get into his building and said he heard when the tear gas was deployed. The situation finally was resolved around 5:30 a.m. and he was able to return to his apartment by 6 a.m., Crow said.
Little Flock police and Sheriff’s Office deputies were at the scene later Friday morning to collect evidence.