A man who threatened to kill himself died Thursday after he was shot by a Little Rock police officer, a Police Department spokesman said.
Police spokesman Lt. Sidney Allen said John Williams was pointing a rifle at himself when an officer fired. Williams was hit and died from the gunshot wound, he said.
Police did not identify the officer involved in the shooting Thursday evening.
Shortly after 2 p.m., Williams’ girlfriend called 911 and reported that her boyfriend took 50 Xanax and was trying to commit suicide. When the two responding officers got to the home at 10305 Nash Lane, they began knocking on the doors and windows, but no one answered, Allen said.
The officers reached the back door, heard what sounded like slurred speech, and spotted a man holding a “long rifle,” Allen said. The door opened, though Allen said he didn’t know if Williams opened it or if officers did after Williams unlocked it.
The officers initially saw Williams on the far end of the room from the door holding the rifle to his head, Allen said, adding that he didn’t know if Williams pointed the weapon at police.
According to Allen, the officers told Williams to drop the weapon and leave the home,but he didn’t comply. The officers said they felt threatened, and one fired as they backed away from the door, striking Williams at least once, Allen said.
The officers continued to order Williams to drop the weapon and re-entered the home shortly afterward to find Williams dead, police said.
Allen said it was too soon to determine whether Williams was attempting to commit suicide by forcing the officers to shoot him.
Investigators searched for evidence in the home and found an undisclosed number of weapons, Allen said. He added that the woman who called police was not at the home at the time of the shooting.
The officers were not injured in the shooting, and both were taken to the department’s detective division for questioning. Under department policy, the officers were placed on administrative paid leave, Allen said.
The shooting is the fourth fatal officer-involved shooting in Little Rock this year.
On Jan. 11, detective Todd Hurd shot Michael Daniel II, 26, a fleeing burglary suspect. Daniel was tussling with Hurd’s partner, detective Ken Blankenship, near 14th and Brown streets and reached for Blankenship’s gun, police said.
On April 25, Kenzell Hobbs, 18, was fatally shot after he fired at officer Steve Gorbet during a foot chase at 1001 N. University Ave., police said. Hobbs was an auto-burglary suspect.
On July 15, officer Terry McDaniel shot Deon Williams in an alley just north of West 12th and Adams streets, setting off a large demonstration and standoff between police and hundreds of protesters.
Off icers had stopped Deon Williams on a traffic violation when police said he bolted from the vehicle and fled into a backyard of a home on Adams Street. That’s when officers spotted a gun in Deon Williams’ waistband. McDaniels had his Taser in hand but drew his gun when he saw Deon Williams drop his weapon, police said. Deon Williams picked up the weapon from the ground and looked at McDaniel, who then fired at Deon Williams, police said.
The prosecuting attorney’s office has ruled the Daniel and Hobbs shootings as justified, and Allen said earlier this week that prosecutors still are reviewing Deon Williams’ death.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 11/15/2013