The Pulaski County sheriff's office deputy who fatally shot an armed man with a history of mental illness Monday is a veteran lawman in central Arkansas.
The sheriff's office Wednesday identified the deputy as Joe Oberle, 59, a patrolman who has worked for the agency since January 2012 and also briefly worked for it in late 2004 and early 2005. Before that, Oberle worked for the Little Rock Police Department from 1978 to 2003.
Leeland James White, 32, was armed with a shotgun when Oberle arrived at a home in the 22400 block of Colonel Glenn Road to investigate a report of a man acting "erratically," authorities said. White refused to drop the gun and was later fatally shot by Oberle, sheriff's office Capt. Carl Minden previously told the Democrat-Gazette.
Court documents showed White had a history of mental illness.
Oberle remains on paid administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting, which is department policy. Minden said Oberle was scheduled to meet with a counselor and "should be cleared to return to duty by the end of the week."
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.