A man wanted on robbery and attempted murder charges who police believe may have been behind a holdup Wednesday morning was fatally shot after an officer stopped him in the parking lot of a Hot Spring County Wal-Mart.
Arkansas State Police say Brandon Rennie Turner, 34, of Donaldson died at the scene during an exchange of gunfire with a Rockport police officer.
Authorities say the officer stopped Turner's pickup in the store lot after seeing that it matched the description of one that fled a robbery of the Wishbone store in Bismarck about 7:30 a.m., Arkansas State Police said.
"The driver was ordered to exit the vehicle," police said in a statement. "The officer reported hearing a gun shot from inside the truck and returned gunfire toward the driver."
In addition to possibly being tied to the robbery in Bismarck, Turner was wanted in connection with an attempted murder and robbery in Hot Springs. Details on that case weren't immediately known and a message left with the Hot Springs Police Department wasn't immediately returned.
Turner's body was taken to the state Crime Laboratory to determine the cause of death, officials said.
By late morning, there were few signs of the shooting at the Wal-Mart, 1910 Martin Luther King Blvd. Broken glass and spray-painted letters on the pavement were visible in the area where it was believed to have occurred, but no police tape was up and shoppers moved freely through the lot.
The officer who opened fire wasn't identified. State police directed questions about him to the Rockport Police Department. An official outside the agency headquarters early Wednesday afternoon said no one was available to comment.