Little Rock officer accused of pointing BB gun at man now faces assault charge

 Evan Howell, 26
Evan Howell, 26

A Little Rock police officer accused of pointing a BB gun at a man while on duty has been charged with third-degree assault, court records show.

The officer, Evan Howell, 26, was "relieved of duty" in June, authorities previously said.

Howell was accused of pointing the weapon at a man who was reportedly harassing employees in a T-Mobile store June 16.

According to a police report, the suspect told officers he did not understand the threat of carrying a BB gun. The report states that Howell grabbed the weapon, pointed it toward the man and said, "Hey, can you tell the difference right now?"

Howell was suspended with pay pending an internal investigation almost immediately after the incident, authorities said in July.

Howell's first court appearance for the misdemeanor charge is set for Friday, documents show.

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

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