Area man accused of shooting at officer will stay in state hospital until he is deemed fit for trial

The man who allegedly shot at an Ashdown, Ark., police officer last spring remains in the Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock for mental health treatment, according to Little River County, Ark., court records.

Glenn Lee Derricks, 25, of Dallas was issued a commitment order Sept. 9 and was deemed not fit to proceed.

The order directing the state hospital to accept Derricks for court-ordered mental health treatment was issued Oct. 6, court records state. He will remain in the state hospital until he is deemed competent to stand trial.

Derricks is accused of shooting at Ashdown Police Department patrolman Darren Black at 8:29 p.m. March 20 about two blocks from Little River County Courthouse.

Black was conducting a traffic stop on North Third Street in Ashdown, based on an alert from Howard County, Ark., when Derricks, a passenger in a vehicle, allegedly exited the car and started shooting at Black. Arkansas State Police Trooper Josh Broughton also was there.

Two bullets struck the front of the patrol car, and one struck the driver-side mirror as Black exited the police car, according to the arrest affidavit. Another bullet struck a vehicle across the street, and one went through a window of the residence at 311 W. Main St., lodging in the headboard of a bed

inside the house. Another bullet hit the office wall of Ashdown City Attorney Lindsey Thomason and was found on the floor next to a desk.

The driver of the car was Khadijah Johnson, who was taken into custody after the shooting and identified the suspect as Derricks.

Johnson said Derricks told her he was going to shoot at the officer if he attempted to stop them, according to the affidavit. Johnson also said Derricks told her to get on the floor when they stopped, before he exited the vehicle.

Derricks eluded police the night of March 20 and into the early morning hours of March 21, until he was arrested in the Ashdown City Park.

Little River County Sheriff’s Office, state police, Arkansas Game & Fish wildlife officers and the De Queen, Ark., Police Department K-9 unit helped Ashdown police search for Derricks.

The charge of attempted capital murder carries a potential sentence of 10 to 40 years in prison or life if convicted. Derricks faces other charges including felony with a firearm, with a potential sentence of zero to 15 years, and terroristic act and possession of a firearm by certain person, Class B felonies with a punishment range of five to 20 years.