Police: Suspect shot, killed by off-duty officer while trying to rob Arkansas bank

The suspect in an attempted bank robbery who was fatally shot by an off-duty Benton police officer Friday afternoon has been identified as a 58-year-old Arkansas man.

The Benton Police Department said in a statement the man was Joseph Edward Turner Jr. of Grant County.

The name of the officer who fatally shot Turner has not been released.

Turner was shot after the off-duty officer "intervened in the attempted armed robbery of" Simmons Bank at 1323 Military Road, police said in a statement. It happened shortly before 2:45 p.m.

"During the course of the altercation with the off-duty officer, the suspect, who was brandishing a handgun, was shot and later transported to a local hospital," the statement said. "The suspect later succumbed to injuries."

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

EARLIER

An off-duty police officer shot and killed a suspect Friday afternoon as Benton police responded to an attempted bank robbery, a spokesman said.

In an interview posted to the Benton Police Department's Facebook page, Capt. Kevin Russell said officers were sent to the Simmons Bank at 1323 Military Road around 2:42 p.m., responding to a reported robbery in progress.

The off-duty officer shot the suspect in the bank, Russell said. The suspect died after being taken to a hospital.

The investigation is ongoing, and no other details were provided. The Benton Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A man robbed a different Simmons Bank on Friday afternoon in Pine Bluff, Arkansas Online reported. Surveillance camera footage showed a black male as the suspected robber.

In a reply to a comment on Facebook, Benton police said the suspect in their attempted robbery is a white male. It's unclear if both instances are related.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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Simmons Bank

Simmons Bank
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