Little Rock officer arrested on manslaughter charge

Josh Hastings, 26, of Little Rock
Josh Hastings, 26, of Little Rock

— A Little Rock police officer has been arrested on a manslaughter charge following an August shooting that left one teenager dead.

The Little Rock Police Department announced in a news release that officer Josh Hastings, 26, was arrested Friday afternoon about 2 p.m. in west Little Rock. Hastings responded to a call Aug. 12 regarding three suspects who were breaking into cars at Shadow Lake Apartments, 13111 W. Markham, and were reportedly leaving the area in a stolen vehicle.

READ MORE

Hastings told investigating officers that the suspects approached him in the vehicle and failed to stop despite his instructions to do so. Hastings reportedly fired shots at the vehicle, which ultimately killed the driver — 15-year-old Bobby Moore.

Hastings was immediately placed on administrative leave after the shooting pending both internal and criminal investigations. On Friday he was formally charged with manslaughter, a class-C felony, after the prosecuting attorney's office concluded that Hastings' use of deadly force was not justified. According to the release, he remains off-duty while "administrative proceedings are conducted."

Read more about this story in tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Thank you for coming to the website of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.

Upcoming Events