NLR police say armed man fatally shot during traffic stop

— A man armed with an undisclosed weapon was fatally shot Tuesday night by North Little Rock police officers during a traffic stop, a police spokesman said.

The shooting occurred about 9 p.m. after officers stopped a white, four-door sedan on West 47th Street near Allen Street, North Little Rock police Lt. Jim Scott said.

A passenger in the car "displayed an unknown type of weapon," and two officers opened fire, he said. The man who was shot was taken to UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, where he died, Scott said.

Scott declined to name the officers or the man who was shot. The driver of the car, who was uninjured, was taken into police custody. Scott said he did not know what charges, if any, the driver faces.

Witnesses said they heard four of five gunshots. Marshall Terell, 18, who lives nearby on Pike Avenue,said he was walking on 47th Street with a friend when he saw a police car turn around in a church parking lot and then stop the white car. An officer was at the rear of the car with the driver when a man got out from the passenger side and shots rang out, Terell said.

"We hit the ground," Terell said. When he lifted his head up, the passenger who had gotten out was on the ground, Terell said.

Larry Welch, 51, said he was riding his bicycle to a convenience store when he saw a police car stop the sedan. Another police car stopped across of the street.

"They said 'Let me see your hands,'" Welch said. "Then all of a sudden, I heard gunshots."

Following department policy, the two officers were placed on administrative leave.

"Our biggest concern right now is for the officers," Scott said. "We train so much for this, but it's the last thing we ever want to do."

Arkansas, Pages 11 on 08/26/2009

Upcoming Events