ASP ID suspect in shooting of sheriff’s deputy

LITTLE ROCK — Authorities have identified the deceased suspect involved in a shooting in northern Arkansas in which a sheriff’s deputy was killed.

State police said Friday that 39-year-old Samuel Fullerton lived at the house in Leslie where Stone County Sheriff’s deputy Sergeant Mike Stephen was responding to a domestic welfare check Thursday morning when gunfire erupted. Both Stephen and Fullerton were killed at the house.

Another resident of the house, 32-year-old Erika Johnson, was wounded with non-life

threatening injuries. Police said Friday that two other deputies had responded to the call as well when the shooting began.

Agents with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigations division are looking into the shooting. Stephen was a 20year law enforcement veteran and Pineville Fire Department Chief.

Leslie is about 77 miles north of Little Rock.

Panel advises LR to not arm school security staff

LITTLE ROCK — An advisory panel is recommending that the Little Rock School District not arm its security officers.

The Community Advisory Board voted 7-0 Thursday to direct district superintendent Mike Poore not to consider a proposal for arming 10 school security officers.

The final decision is up to the Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key. He acts in place of an elected school board in the state-controlled school district.

Arkansas law allows public school district employees to be armed if they complete 60 hours of training, pass background checks and psychological evaluations. Firearms may be used to defend students and staff members from attackers.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Little Rock raised the possibility of arming some employees after a high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead last year.