The suspect in the Jan. 6 death of a 51-year-old man has been released from the Jefferson County Detention Center on $200,000 bond.
Earlier this week, the office of Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter filed a formal charge of first-degree murder against Zackary Vermillion, 29, who was booked into jail on the evening of the shooting and was released Tuesday evening, according to records. An arraignment date has not yet been set.
Vermillion is accused of shooting Tony Jones to death during an altercation that began in front of Vermillion's residence near a convenience store on U.S. 79 and ended on Whiteville Road, southwest of the Pine Bluff city limits. Jones' place of residence was not listed in reports.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Vermillion drove his vehicle toward U.S. 79 and turned onto Whiteville Road, where Jones began hitting the back glass of Vermillion's vehicle. Vermillion saw what appeared to be a pistol in Jones' hand and began firing at him with his own pistol, the affidavit says.
Vermillion called and told Jefferson County sheriff's deputies at 1:11 p.m. that he had shot a man who jumped into the back of his truck, records show. Jones was shot in the head, according to the affidavit, and was transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, then transferred to a Little Rock hospital, where he was pronounced dead four hours later.
The affidavit reads that a .22-caliber derringer pistol was found underneath Jones, three spent 9-mm shell casings were found in the truck and a Taurus 9-mm handgun also was found at the scene.
Surveillance video from a convenience store shows Jones driving to Vermillion's residence and getting into Vermillion's truck, according to the affidavit. Vermillion and Jones exchanged words, and Vermillion got a pistol from his wife inside the home and drove to the other side of the house, where he asked a friend for assistance, the affidavit says. Sheriff's deputies reported interviewing the friend, but he was not arrested.
Vermillion told investigators that he drove his vehicle from side-to-side to try to throw Jones out before the shooting, according to reports.
Patrick Benca of Little Rock is representing Vermillion.
