LR police release shooting’s footage

Little Rock police released body camera and dashboard camera footage Thursday of an officer-involved shooting early Saturday on the 1400 block of Cleveland Street.

Department authorities revealed the two officers involved were Coleman Dillon and Caitlin Hunter, who were hired in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Dillon, the officer who fired the weapon, is still under investigation both criminally and internally, according to Police Chief Keith Humphrey.

Once the criminal investigation into the officer’s actions is complete, the case will be given to the prosecutor to decide whether any charges are warranted.

The internal review of the case will also determine if any department policy was broken by the officers, Humphrey said.

In a video released by the department, Humphrey said that just before 12:30 p.m. May 6, a woman told a community resource officer that Michael Smith, her child’s father, had not been given permission to use her 2014 Toyota Camry.

The video released Thursday show the officers arriving at the Cleveland Street scene at 4:12 a.m. Hunter approaches the driver’s side while Dillon stands on the passenger side. Smith is shown refusing to roll down his window when asked by Hunter while repeating to officers that he did not do anything to be stopped by police.

When asked to exit the vehicle, Smith starts the vehicle as Dillon walks around the side of the car with his weapon drawn.

Dillon avoids the car turning left into him but gets his hand and weapon stuck inside the now moving vehicle, which moves across the yard where it was parked toward the street.

Smith is shown reaching for the firearm after it was discharged and struggling with Dillon over the weapon before Dillon freed himself from the vehicle.

Smith fled down Cleveland Street, with officers pursuing him before wrecking into a power line pole in the 6100 block of West 12th Street.

When officers came around to the driver’s side of the vehicle, they discovered he was wounded and pulled him out of the vehicle and applied a tourniquet.

Smith was taken to the Pulaski County jail after his release from the hospital, and is charged with felony criminal attempt to commit capital murder, felony fleeing police, felony battery and misdemeanor unauthorized use of another’s vehicle.

According to department spokesman Mark Edwards, both officers have been placed on administrative leave.