An Arkansas sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a man who fled from an attempted traffic stop, authorities said Monday.
The shooting occurred Sunday evening when a Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputy tried to stop a pickup in a northeastern part of the county. Police did not say what traffic violation the driver, identified as Scottie Stacy, 57, had committed to warrant a traffic stop.
The Sheriff’s Office said Stacy fled through a fence and onto a field, where he eventually stopped. The deputy got out, Stacy reversed and struck the patrol car, and the deputy then shot him, according to a statement from the office.
Stacy died at the scene. A passenger in his vehicle was not injured.
Arkansas State Police will investigate the shooting, and the Sheriff’s Office said it would conduct an internal review.
The deputy involved was Cpl. Stevon Grindstaff, a six-year employee of the Sheriff’s Office, according to a separate release from the department. Grindstaff was placed on administrative leave in line with normal procedure, according to the release.
In another separate statement, police said Stacy’s body was transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, where an official cause of death will be determined. An investigative case file will be presented to a prosecutor, who will determine whether the use of deadly force was justified.
