Deputy slays man toting shotgun outside home west of Little Rock

Victim, 32, was banging on doors in rural Pulaski County

Map showing the location of a shooting that occurred monday morning.
Map showing the location of a shooting that occurred monday morning.

The Pulaski County sheriff's office is investigating after a deputy fatally shot an armed man with a history of mental illness Monday morning.

The shooting occurred about 6:20 a.m. outside a home at 22400 Colonel Glenn Road, between Faulkner Road and Beauchamp Road in western Pulaski County. Sheriff's office spokesman Capt. Carl Minden said a deputy was called to the rural area to investigate a report of a man behaving "erratically."

The deputy found and confronted the man, whom the sheriff's office identified as Leeland James White, 32. White was reportedly armed with a 20-gauge shotgun. The deputy "tried to talk" to White, but White refused to drop the gun and the deputy shot him twice in the upper right torso, according to Minden.

Investigators recovered the shotgun as evidence and released photos of the weapon to media later Monday.

The deputy who killed White was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting, in accordance with department policy. The sheriff's office had not named the deputy late Monday but described him as a "veteran law enforcement officer with over 29 years of experience."

The department will investigate whether the deputy's use of deadly force was justified. Findings will be submitted to prosecutors to determine if criminal charges are filed.

"He's given a brief statement with his attorney present and then he'll have a more detailed statement probably [today]," Minden said. "That's standard, across the board, on something like this ... At this point, everything appears to be in line, with legal and with [sheriff's office] policy."

The sheriff's office reported that White's last known address was in Saline County. Court records list another address for White at 1413 Colonel Glenn Road, about 3.5 miles west of where he was killed Monday.

White and his wife of 10 years divorced in March. She described him in court filings as a "frequent methamphetamine user" who was verbally and physically abusive toward her and their three children.

The next month, she accused White of threatening to kill her and himself during an argument over child-custody arrangements, court records show. White was reportedly seen "driving around with guns and ammunition in his truck" after the dispute.

A family member later took White to UAMS Medical Center for a four-day mental health evaluation, but White fled the hospital, and in the process injured his neck by jumping over a wall, according to court documents. He returned to the hospital the next day, and a psychiatrist filed a petition to commit him to a mental-health treatment facility.

The doctor stated in the petition that White was a paranoid-psychotic who believed people were "out to get him" and that drones were following him.

Minden said White had been banging on residents' front doors and behaving strangely before the shooting Monday on Colonel Glenn Road. Minden did not have information on White's sobriety or mental state at the time of the shooting. He said White's body was taken to the state Crime Laboratory for autopsy, which will include a toxicology screening.

"Obviously, there were some known issues there with Mr. White," Minden said.

Property records show Robert and Teresa Brown have owned the home at 22400 Colonel Glenn Road, outside of which White was killed, since 2007. The sheriff's office said the Browns did not know White.

The couple did not return calls seeking comment Monday.

Metro on 09/27/2016

photo

Leeland White, 32, of Saline County.

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