Bond at $500,000 for Gentry man shot by a Benton County deputy

Hasten Nathaniel Merworth
Hasten Nathaniel Merworth

BENTONVILLE -- A Gentry man involved last week in a shooting with Benton County sheriff's deputies was being held in the jail Monday on $500,000 bond.

Hasten Nathaniel Merworth, 33, was booked at 8:35 p.m. Friday in the Benton County Jail in connection with aggravated assault upon a certified law enforcement officer or an employee of a correctional facility and violation of a protection order.

Deputies were trying to locate Merworth in connection with violation of a protection order, according to a probable cause affidavit. Deputies went Wednesday afternoon to 23465 W. Mountain Road in Decatur, and the property owner let them search the property, according to the affidavit.

Merworth was sitting in the driver's seat of a silver Ford pickup. Deputies approached the pickup and saw Merworth with a gun, according to the affidavit. Deputies used their cars to block the pickup, according to the affidavit.

Lt. Harold Gage with the Benton County Sheriff's Office saw Merworth put the gun in his lap. The deputies took cover and tried to resolve the situation verbally, according to the affidavit.

The camera in a deputy's patrol car did not record the shooting, but was able to pick up some of the conversation between a deputy and Merworth, according to the affidavit. The deputy urged Merworth to get out of the pickup, but Merworth told him he wanted to die, the affidavit states.

A second dash camera recorded the back of the pickup and audio of deputies repeatedly telling Merworth to put down the gun, the affidavit states.

Merworth fired his gun multiple times from inside the pickup and Cpl. Matt Nading returned fire, according to the affidavit. Merworth was injured in his face and leg. He was airlifted to a medical facility in Springfield, Mo.

The Arkansas State Police is investigating the shooting. Troopers found a Ruger Mark 2 semi-auto .22 caliber pistol, four shell casings and five bullet fragments at the scene, according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against Merworth.

Merworth's arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m. April 22 in Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren's court.

NW News on 03/19/2019

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