Photo: London Phillips. Photo courtesy Associated Press via Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff’s Office
A man accused of fatally shooting a Fayetteville Police officer is reportedly a former Baxter County resident. Thirty-five-year-old London Phillips of Fayetteville reportedly shot and killed 27-year-old Stephen Carr Saturday before two officers ran out of the police station and opened fire on the suspect, killing him.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Phillips lived in Baxter County for a period of time last year. Tax records indicate he had delinquent personal property taxes.
Carr’s death was one of three killings of police officers nationwide in a two-day period.
Carr was a patrol officer in Fayetteville’s Dickson Street entertainment district, an area popular with students at the nearby University of Arkansas, police say. Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds said Sunday Carr was sitting in his patrol car when a man approached the vehicle and shot him several times at point-blank range.
Two officers who were inside the police station heard the gunfire, ran outside and opened fire on the suspect, killing him, police say. Authorities on Sunday identified the suspect as Phillips.
The officers who opened fire on Phillips – identified Sunday as Cpl. Seay Floyd and officer Natalie Eucce – are on paid leave pending an internal investigation, police say.
Police say they don’t know why Phillips shot Carr, but they believe he set out to kill a police officer.
Reynolds says Phillips used a 9 mm Taurus pistol and had two boxes of ammunition with him.
Fayetteville police had a “brief history” with Phillips, Reynolds says. Police received a call in December 2018 about Phillips impersonating a police officer, he says. In April, Phillips pawned a gun at a local pawn shop. Reynolds says the owner of the shop would not return the gun because Phillips had a medical marijuana card, which disqualifies someone from possessing a gun in Arkansas.
Reynolds became choked up and appeared to fight back tears during the news conference. He says Carr was from Texas and had joined the Fayetteville police department about 2 1/2 years ago.
Reynolds says there has been an outpouring of shock, disbelief and support from people in Fayetteville and the surrounding area.
Fayetteville police have asked the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI to investigate.
The fatal Arkansas incident followed the shooting death of a Houston police officer Saturday night and the killing of an Alabama police officer on Friday.
According to the FBI, 43 police officers have been killed so far in 2019. During the same period last year, 53 officers had been killed. Another 37 officers have died in accidents, such as car crashes, so far in 2019.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday ordered the United States and Arkansas flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Carr.
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