Man fatally shot by police in River Market District identified; 2 officers also named

Police investigate the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting early the morning of March 26, 2017, in an alley in Little Rock's River Market District.
Police investigate the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting early the morning of March 26, 2017, in an alley in Little Rock's River Market District.

Authorities have identified the man who was killed by police in a downtown Little Rock alley early Sunday as well as the two officers who shot him.

Police arrived at the 300 block of President Clinton Avenue in the River Market District shortly after 2 a.m. and were told by a witness that a man came out of the downtown bar Ernie Biggs and started saying "racial slurs," according to a police report.

The witness reportedly said he didn't want any trouble and told the man to leave. The witness said the man, later identified as 54-year-old Michael Hornibrook of Little Rock, then pulled out a handgun and threatened to shoot him, according to the report.

The witness found several officers nearby and pointed out Hornibrook as a man who was standing in the middle of President Clinton Avenue, the report said.

Officers tried to make contact with Hornibrook and he ran toward Cumberland Street, according to a police department statement. He headed south on Cumberland Street, and two officers chased him to the alleyway behind Ernie Biggs, police said.

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Little Rock Police Department

Officer Brian Osmundson, 31, and Officer Samuel Hill, 44, of the Little Rock Police Department

Hornibrook then stopped and turned toward the officers with a pistol in his hand, "raising it as if to fire at the officers," according to the statement.

Officer Brian Osmundson, 31, and Officer Samuel Hill, 44, both fired at Hornibrook and struck him multiple times, police said.

Hornibrook was transported to UAMS Medical Center where he was taken into surgery. He later died from the injuries.

Osmundson and Hill were both placed on administrative leave per department policy, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

Since 2011, Little Rock police have been in 28 officer-involved shootings, including the most recent shooting early Sunday morning. A dozen of those Little Rock officer-involved shootings have been fatal.

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

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Ryan Tarinelli contributed to this article.

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