Police shot a suspected shoplifter after he carjacked a woman's vehicle near a Chick-fil-A in west Little Rock on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said as investigators worked a large crime scene in the area.
The chain of events started about 12:50 p.m. at the Home Depot at the intersection of Markham Street and Chenal Parkway.
Little Rock Police Department Chief Kenton Buckner said a shoplifter there turned unruly in a struggle and later ran from officers. He then robbed a woman of her vehicle in the area of the restaurant and was subsequently shot by officers, the chief said.
The carjacker — described by police as a white man in his 20s — was taken to a local hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Buckner said it wasn't known if the man had a weapon or clear yet why officers opened fire.
"That we do not know," he told reporters. "Obviously that will be a part of our investigation when we interview the officer and the witnesses that were here on the lot as well as the suspect and the victim of the carjacking."
The woman whose car was taken was also transported to a hospital as a precaution, though officials believe she was not injured.
Numerous police vehicles responded to the scene. The Arkansas Online traffic map showed stalled or stopped traffic in the area.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
