LR officer who fired at suspect named

Report says 23-year veteran faced man holding a rifle ‘in the upwards position’

Little Rock police on Thursday identified an officer who responded to a house burglary and fired at a fleeing man.

The department said officer Anthony "Tony" Moore, a 23-year veteran of the agency, was among the officers who confronted three burglary suspects Wednesday morning at 25 Applegate Court. Moore chased one of the suspects behind the residence, where he fired one shot at the man, police said.

No injuries were reported.

Police arrested Demetrius Clark, 17, and Timothy Barton, 18, at the scene. Investigators identified Mark Anderson, 19, as the man Moore chased behind the home. Anderson surrendered to police Wednesday night after warrants for his arrest were issued.

According to a court affidavit, Anderson "had a rifle in his hands and had it in the upwards position" when Moore chased him. Anderson reportedly "turned towards the officer with the rifle," and Moore fired at him. Anderson then dropped the rifle and fled, the affidavit states.

Police later learned the rifle was a pellet gun that had been taken in the burglary.

Moore remained on paid administrative leave Thursday while an investigation continued, as is standard procedure. Police spokesman Lt. Steve McClanahan said the department is looking into whether Moore followed department guidelines on use of deadly force.

McClanahan said Moore, 49, has fired his service weapon on one other occasion, possibly in 2003. He didn't have further details.

The three teenagers arrested Wednesday were each charged with burglary, theft of property and fleeing. Clark, who was charged as an adult, and Barton appeared Thursday morning in Little Rock District Court and pleaded innocent. Judge Alice Lightle ordered both of them held at the Pulaski County jail and set bail at $10,000 each.

Anderson, who was additionally charged with aggravated assault, was being held at the jail pending an initial court appearance.

A neighbor called to report the home at 25 Applegate Court was being burglarized, according to a police incident report. Officers arrived at the dead-end residential street about 11:05 a.m. and reportedly found Clark sitting in a stolen Jeep Cherokee with a flat screen TV in the back.

Moments afterward, an officer broadcast that "a black male was running and shots had been fired."

Barton was soon found hiding in a wooded area and arrested, and after investigators had cordoned off the scene, officer Moore "advised he was the victim of an aggravated assault," the report states.

"Officer Moore made contact with one of the suspects who had a rifle. Officer Moore fired one shot from his service pistol," according to the report.

Arkansas law states that aggravated assault, in one regard, occurs when a person "displays a firearm in such a manner that creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person."

Metro on 10/30/2015

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