Ozark officer shoots, kills gunman after disturbance call

An officer with the Ozark Police Department shot and killed an armed man Tuesday night, according to a news release from the Arkansas State Police.

It was Arkansas’ seventh officer-involved shooting in two months.

Officer Tyler Williams has been put on paid administrative leave pending a state police investigation of the shooting of Ronald Doyle Elliott, Ozark Police Chief Devin Bramlett said.

Elliott would have turned 49 years old Wednesday, according to Franklin County Circuit Court records. It wasn’t clear from the news release whether he died Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ozark police received a domestic-disturbance call and dispatched an officer to a residence on West School Street about 10:19 p.m. Tuesday.

Elliott had locked himself inside his bedroom, according to the news release.

Before police arrived, a woman entered the bedroom in an attempt to disarm him, according to the release.

Then Williams arrived and entered the bedroom. Witnesses heard him instruct Elliott to put down the gun, “followed by the sound of a gunshot,” according to the release.

Elliott was taken to an Ozark hospital, where he died, according to the release. His body has been sent to the state Crime Laboratory.

Bramlett asked the state police to investigate the shooting. The investigative file will be turned over to the Franklin County prosecuting attorney to consider whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas laws.

According to Franklin County Circuit Court records, Elliott was convicted of misdemeanor battery in 2014 and driving while intoxicated in 2016.

There have been several recent officer-involved shootings in Arkansas.

A suspect in a New Year’s Day double homicide was shot and killed Monday afternoon by four deputies in White County. Archie Lawhon III, 42, of Cabot, was shot several times after he pointed a gun at the deputies, according to Phillip Miller, chief deputy at the White County sheriff’s office. The state police agency is investigating.

On Dec. 19, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory shot and killed a man who was accused of stealing smokeless tobacco products from a store, said Marc McCune, the Crawford County prosecutor. He said that case is still under investigation by the Crawford County sheriff’s office.

Two Batesville police officers wounded Andrew Hatley, 28, of Batesville, during a Dec. 16 traffic stop. Hatley ran a short distance before turning and pointing a handgun at the officers, said Liz Chapman, a state police spokesman.

On Dec. 9, Sgt. Scott Seiders of the White County sheriff’s office shot and killed James Newman, 69, in Rose Bud after he pointed a rifle at the deputy. Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Reed McCoy found that the deputy had used reasonable and justified deadly force, pending a report from the state police.

On Nov. 4, Nyung Kyee, 56, was shot and killed by Clarksville police officer Daryl Lance Clubb after Kyee “rushed” at Clubb holding a large kitchen knife, according to a letter from Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons to the state police. Gibbons determined the use of deadly force was justified.

Also on Nov. 4, Batesville police shot and killed 44-year-old Marvin Stair after being called to a residence to investigate a domestic disturbance. Stair opened fire on officer Michael Dickinson, striking him multiple times, according to the state police. Dickinson fired back before officers who arrived to back up Dickinson shot and killed Stair, state police said.

Dickinson suffered serious injuries but survived.

Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the state police, said both Batesville shooting investigations are still open. He said prosecuting attorneys sometimes make decisions in officer-involved shooting cases before receiving a final investigative report from the state police. Sadler said it can take a while for the state police to get toxicology and other information from the Crime Lab, and prosecutors may already have sufficient evidence to make a decision regarding lawful use of deadly force.

“These are active investigations until such time as the prosecuting attorney notifies the lead agent that the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law,” Sadler wrote in an email.