Forrest City shooting suspect heads to AR
In less than a minute, George Henderson, the suspected shooter in the death of an off-duty Forrest City police officer, waived his right to an extradition hearing Friday and agreed to return to Arkansas to face charges.
Henderson, 22, was arrested near Danny Thomas and Alabama Thursday morning, culminating a search for the suspect.
He appeared Friday morning before General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson in connection with the death of Officer Oliver Johnson. He’ll return to West Memphis, where the April 28 shooting occurred.
A second suspect, Demarcus Parker, 25, was arrested in Marion, Arkansas, on Wednesday, said West Memphis police Capt. Joe Baker.
Investigators believe Henderson was the shooter and Parker the driver. Under Arkansas lawboth are equally culpable, Baker said.
The men are charged with one count each of capital murder, 16 counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, and six counts of attempted murder, he said.
Henderson was apprehended Thursday by officers with the Multi-Agency Gang Unit and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office fugitive squad, Earle Farrell, sheriff’s office spokesman, said.
Johnson, 25, was off-duty when someone fired shots from a vehicle toward a group of people in a parking lot at The Meadows apartment complex on South Avalon in West Memphis, Baker said.
The shooting resulted from a dispute between two groups, he said. “These are gang groups. Two small, feuding little street gangs.”
Johhnson was not involved in the dispute, Baker said.