Suspect awaiting trial shot dead by law officers

Task force fired on while they served warrant, marshal says

FAYETTEVILLE — A 32-year-old Washington County man who was out on bond while awaiting trial on an attempted capital murder charge was shot and killed Friday by officers attempting to serve an arrest warrant for another crime.

Zachry Seward was shot and killed around 3 p.m. Friday by officers of the Western Arkansas Fugitive Task Force who were attempting to serve a warrant for possession of firearms by certain persons prohibited, according to Dewaine Allen, acting U.S. marshal for the Western District of Arkansas.

Allen said the task force regularly “adopts” warrant service cases when the individuals sought have a history of violence or fleeing from officers. Allen said six task force officers were at the home to serve the warrant in Washington County, near Lincoln.

“He came out of the residence with a firearm,” Allen said. “He came out shooting. Our personnel shot back, and he died.”

Officers administered emergency first-aid and called for a medi-flight helicopter, but Seward died before he could be taken from the scene, Allen said.

Allen said the Arkansas State Police will investigate the shooting as a matter of policy.

Washington County Circuit Court records show Seward had a history of criminal charges from 2013, 2018 and 2020 including aggravated assault, terroristic threatening, fleeing, possession of controlled substance, and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms. He was also a participant in the drug court program.

Seward was arrested in June in connection attempted capital murder after he reportedly stabbed his former probation officer.

Seward, who police listed as being homeless, was arrested after officers were called to 10 S.

College Ave. around noon June 28 on a report of a stabbing.

A female probation officer in uniform was working in the probation and parole office when Seward entered the building, according to a preliminary report from the Fayetteville Police Department. Seward, a 2018 graduate of the Washington County Drug Court program, had been on probation until five months earlier and had reported to the woman while he was on probation, according to the report.

Police say Seward parked his car in front of the building and left the motor running. He ran into the woman’s office and stabbed her twice in the left leg and once behind her right ear. A drug court counselor entered the office and saw the woman in her chair with Seward standing over her, holding her arms. Drug court counselors and another probation officer subdued Seward and handcuffed him, the report states. Another probation officer applied a tourniquet to the woman’s leg and found the knife on the floor next to the woman’s desk.

Sgt. Anthony Murphy with the Fayetteville Police Department said at the time of the attack the woman was taken to a local hospital, but her injuries weren’t life-threatening.

According to the report, Seward was yelling “people were out to get him” and drones were following him. He also reportedly yelled drug court had ruined his life and “was going to pay.” Seward reportedly told officers he has been the subject of continuous surveillance by the drug court and he had driven by the drug court building but didn’t plan to stop.

Seward was charged with attempted capital murder and held on a $500,000 bond in the Washington County jail. He was released on that bond amount March 28, according to jail records. He had been scheduled for a status hearing on the attempted capital murder charge June 13.