De Queen police officer shot during high-speed chase with suspect

LITTLE RIVER COUNTY, Ark. (KSLA) - An officer with the De Queen Police Department was shot early Saturday morning (July 8).

The sheriff in Little River County says it happened during a chase with a suspect that ended in Little River County north of Foreman on Highway 41.

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office says it all started just before 4 a.m. Saturday when deputies were called out to a house in the 100 block of Sweet Home Lane in De Queen about a domestic dispute in which a shooting had reportedly occurred. When the deputy got there, he was fired upon and his unit was hit multiple times, the sheriff’s office reports.

More deputies were called to the scene. That’s when the suspect, 37-year-old Kenneth Smith, drove away from the scene on a motorcycle.

Officers from multiple agencies chased Smith, who drove away at high speed. During the chase, Smith reportedly fired multiple shots at officers as he was headed south on Highway 41. Officials say Smith reached speeds of more than 90 mph before he crashed. Officials also say he endangered the lives of other drivers by veering into the northbound lane.

During the chase, Smith allegedly hit a De Queen Police Department officer in the shoulder. Lt. Chad Bradshaw was hit in the right shoulder and taken to a hospital in Sevier County for treatment. Officials say has been released and is expected to recover.

After Smith crashed, he took off running. A manhunt for him lasted several hours. K-9s, horses and helicopters from multiple agencies were all utilized in order to find Smith.

Arkansas State Police has taken over the investigation, which is ongoing.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article initially contained information saying a deputy with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office was shot. That information was incorrectly provided to KSLA by the Little River County Sheriff’s Office. The article has since been corrected to reflect the officer who was shot is with the De Queen Police Department.

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