Fatal gunfire by 2 officers ruled justified.

Prosecutor cites man’s use of meth, clears lawmen in April gunfire at LR Arby’s

Two officers were justified in using deadly force on Easter Sunday when they shot a Pine Bluff man who fired a weapon at police in an Arby’s parking lot, the Pulaski County prosecuting attorney’s office has ruled.

Michael St. Clair, 42, had ingested “toxic” levels of methamphetamine before he fired numerous shots at two police officers on April 21, said a letter sent Tuesday by Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley to Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey.

A toxicology report also found amphetamine and benzodiazepines in St. Clair’s system, a case report for the shooting said.

St. Clair fired at police officers who returned fire, striking him four times, according to police documents.

At 2:44 p.m. that day, a 911 caller told Little Rock police dispatchers that someone was walking around near 2600 S. Shackleford Road and possibly shooting a gun, police documents said.

A second 911 call led dispatchers to upgrade the report as a disturbance with a weapon after the caller said that St. Clair had a weapon, police documents said.

Officers Chandler Taylor and Ryan Stubenrauch arrived in the area about five minutes later, the case report said. Stubenrauch found St. Clair walking near the Samurai Steakhouse, and said St. Clair looked at him for a moment before running away.

St. Clair turned back and fired several shots at Stubenrauch before running into an Arby’s parking lot at 2704 S. Shackleford Road and hiding behind a drive-thru sign, documents said. Stubenrauch returned fire.

Two officers blocked the Arby’s parking lot and St. Clair fired at Taylor, who was also approaching him, the case report said.

The officers returned fire, striking St. Clair.

When St. Clair fell to the ground, officers handcuffed him and called for an ambulance, documents said. A doctor at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock pronounced him dead at 3:38 p.m.

Neither officer was injured, the case file said.

Detectives interviewed six witnesses as well as the couple who first called 911, according to the case file. A woman and her wife leaving Cracker Barrel said St. Clair made eye contact with them while on a sidewalk.

When they were driving away, the women said they heard a loud noise and saw St. Clair put a gun in his sweatshirt pocket. They called 911.

Six witnesses told detectives they saw St. Clair shooting at and running from the officers.

In his letter to Humphrey, Jegley said the officers “acted reasonably in the circumstances they faced,” and ruled the shooting justified.