Probation office visit lands man in custody

HOT SPRINGS — A felon on probation was arrested Tuesday morning after authorities said he took a gun to his meeting at the Hot Springs Probation and Parole Office, reportedly telling officials he planned to commit “suicide by cop,” according to a police report.

Christopher Bradley Small, 47, who lists a Richard Street address, was taken into custody at the probation office, 615 E. Grand Ave., shortly before 11 a.m. and later charged with two felony counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and two misdemeanor counts of first-degree assault, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Small had pleaded guilty on April 20, 2021, to a felony count of terroristic threatening, stemming from his threats to kill his 87-year-old father, and was sentenced to five years’ probation, which included a condition that he receive mental health treatment.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Small went to the probation office to meet with Parole and Probation Administration agent Devonne Tingle and Parole and Probation Administration Officer 1st Class Edward Elliott. Small was wearing black “paramilitary style” BDU or “battle dress uniform” clothing that included an “oversized” shirt, black pants and black military-style boots.

During a routine search, Small was standing facing a wall with his hands on the wall and Elliott was patting him down when he reportedly felt a gun in Small’s waistband on the right side.

As soon as he felt it, Elliott called out “gun!” and trapped Small’s right arm. Small dropped his left hand off the wall and moved it quickly toward the location of the gun, according to authorities.

Small grabbed the handle of the gun, a Taurus revolver, but Tingle was able to grab his left arm and jerk it away from the gun. At that point, Tingle and Elliott placed Small into custody.

Small made the spontaneous statement, “I was going to come in and point the gun at [his assigned probation officer] and suicide by cop,” according to authorities.

A short time later, Hot Springs police and probation and parole officers responded to Small’s listed residence on Richard Street, where they spoke with Small’s mother, who was the only other occupant of the house.

As a condition of Small’s probation and with the consent of his mother, the officers searched the residence and said they found a Mossberg 20-gauge shotgun with a pistol grip on top of Small’s bed. They also reportedly found several bladed weapons, including a double-sided battle ax and several large knives and machetes.

The affidavit notes Small was prohibited from possessing firearms from his previous felony conviction.