Posted on 05/20/2010 3:44:00 PM PDT by dragnet2
(CNN) -- Two police officers were fatally shot and another two were wounded Thursday in two separate shootings allegedly by the same suspects
The suspects, who were using an assault weapon, were themselves fatally shot.
police made a traffic stop on a white minivan traveling eastbound on I-40 at Airport Road,
The occupant or occupants of the van shot two police officers and sped off, he said. One of the victims died at the scene; the other was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died, Shelton said. One of the two fatalities was the son of the city's chief of police, he added.
A short time later and about a mile away, in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart, two deputies searching for the suspects came across a white minivan and were shot and wounded as they approached the vehicle, Shelton said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
By CHUCK BARTELS, Associated Press Writer Chuck Bartels, Associated Press Writer – 8 mins ago
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – Two police officers doing anti-drug work along a busy Arkansas interstate were shot and killed by two men with AK-47s on Thursday, and the suspects later died in a separate shootout with police in a crowded Walmart parking lot, authorities said.
West Memphis Police Inspector Bert Shelton said officers were “running drug interdiction” on Interstate 40 in east Arkansas when they pulled over a white van with Ohio license plates. The two men got out of the van and opened fire on the officers with AK-47s, he said. Brandon Paudert, the son of West Memphis’ police chief, died at the scene and Bill Evans died at a hospital.
Traffic stopped as authorities searched vehicles on Interstate 40 looking for the suspects, who were later spotted in the parking lot of a nearby Walmart. Dozens of officers swarmed the van and both suspects were shot and killed, authorities said. The Crittenden County sheriff and his chief deputy were wounded in the shootout.
Good, there should be surveillance video of it.
You are way more optimistic than I am,,, I gave up hope when clinton was elected.
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12515206
According to vehicle registration records, the 1994 Plymouth driven by the suspects is owned by an Ohio church - the House of God’s Prayer in New Vienna, Ohio.
Action News 5’s attempts to reach someone from the church were unsuccessful Thursday. A postal worker in New Vienna said the church rents property in the town, but does not hold services.
Prayers for all of them. I hate this.
My brother just told mr the van was property of some church in OH. Probably stolen.
As they approve the suspect vehicle, they do so in a circle, creating a big time potential cross fire on each other.....
Gezzzz a dog jumped out of the left rear window and bailed out....
Yeah, looking closely, you can clearly see round busting glass in the video....
A short time later, the suspects were killed in a separate shootout with a county sheriff and a deputy, both of whom were wounded.
Names and addresses of the suspects have not yet been released.
Colonel Brian Prickett, chief deputy with the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, said the van is registered to a former white supremacist church in New Vienna that has been closed for many years.
Combined with what the postal worker said in the earlier link, this probably means the "church" still has a legal existence in the sense that it gets mail and rents property but is not an actual meeting place.
Glad the dog bailed out the side window....Innocent by-stander.... It will be interesting to see what provoked the first shooting on the interstate....Vehicle full of drugs?
For those interested....Shooting video
http://crittendencounty.wmctv.com/content/raw-video-shootout-parking-lot-west-memphis-walmart
OMG.....this really hits home with me...what with son and son-in-law being active police officers. God bless those officers and I pray for comfort from their families.:(
If it makes ya feel better, here’s a pick of the dead bad guy...They other dead bad guy can be seen at the left front of the suspect vehicle....Looking at the driver side, pretty sure the vehicle was rammed trying to get out of the lot...
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/may/20/west-memphis-police-officer-killed-another-injured/
Local link. Warning dead suspect in photo
Glad to read the dog is (hopefully) okay.
Prayers for the family/friends/colleagues of the brave, fallen policemen. So sad.
Well, that’s a tiny bit of good news in this brutal story....Unfortunately, dogs can’t pick their owners, so the pooch is innocent here...Not surprised the dog took a couple rounds....
One thing I won’t forget, is watching those LEOs approaching the suspect vehicle in in circle, creating a crossfire situation....Watch the chopper video...
Actually, it’s AR citizens they were protecting. W. Memphis is across the Mississippi River in Arkansas. The name gets confusing, I know. This is also a very small town compared to Memphis so you can imagine the shock and pain they are feeling.
Thank you for that. I was getting confused - they mentioned AK and then TN. I can’t image the pain their families, their coworkers, the town is experiencing. It bummed me out reading about it and seeing the video. Unfortunately, it could be AnyTown, USA. Any updates on the two in the hospital?
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