A police officer in Arkansas was shot and killed as he sat in his patrol vehicle outside his police station Saturday night before the suspected shooter was gunned down by responding officers in a nearby alley, according to officials.
The Fayetteville Police Department said in a news release the incident happened around 9:42 p.m. when officers inside the station heard gunshots, went outside and heard additional gunshots before encountering a suspect behind the police department fleeing the area. After a confrontation where the suspect was shot and killed, deputies discovered Officer Stephen Carr shot inside his patrol vehicle.
“It appears the suspect came into the back parking lot and just executed my officer,” Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds said at a brief news conference.
Reynolds told reporters that the suspect, 35-year-old London Phillips, of Fayetteville, was chased into an alley between the police department and the city prosecutor’s office. Officers then “engaged the suspect,” and shots were fired, injuring Phillips.
Three minutes after the shooting was reported, police said that emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, but both the officer and suspected shooter died of their injuries.
“Evidence shows that Officer Carr was ambushed and executed while sitting in his patrol vehicle,” police said. Reynolds said the officer had been waiting for his partner in the parking lot when the shooting happened.
Carr was hired by the Fayetteville Police Department in April 2017 and was assigned as a patrol officer in the Dickson Street entertainment district. Police called him a “hero,” and said he served with dedication and professionalism for 2 1/2 years. – READ MORE