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By Steve Good
Malvern Police Department officials on Monday released the identity of the MPD officer shot during an altercation with a camouflage-clad man he was attempting to arrest around 1 a.m. April 18.
The MPD responded to a Freedom of Information request made by the Malvern Daily Record on the day of the incident and named Patrolman Brian K. Johnson, 25, of Malvern, as the officer who was treated and released for a gunshot wound at Hot Spring County Medical Center the morning of the incident. “We decided to release the information on the advice of the Malvern City Attorney,” MPD Assistant Chief William Ross said Monday. “We met with the prosecutor, who told us that releasing the information would not hurt the case, so we decided to follow the advice of the city attorney and release the information.” Johnson was on routine patrol around 1 a.m. near the River Oaks Subdivision when he spotted a man dressed in camouflage clothing attempting to hide from him. The man fled when the officer approached, dropping a compound bow he was carrying and running into the woodline. Johnson followed on foot. The two got into an altercation at the treeline, during which the man reportedly acquired Johnson’s handgun from his holster and shot him one time in the upper arm. The officer reportedly pushed the gun away and used a knife clipped inside his left-hand pants pocket to defend himself, stabbing the man in his right side, breaking off the blade into him. Johnson is right-handed and wore the depart-issued knife clipped inside his “weak-hand” pocket. The suspect reportedly fled, bleeding from the knife wound. Johnson’s injury prevented him from continuing the foot pursuit, police said early in the investigation. Johnson returned to active duty one week after the incident. MPD Chief Donnie Taber said that Johnson spent one week on sick leave and was never placed on administrative leave in connection with the shooting incident. Johnson’s personnel record, obtained under the Freedom of Information act, shows that Johnson took his oath of officer Feb. 24, 2006, and attended the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in East Camden for basic police training from April to June of 2006. Johnson’s officer training record provided by MPD shows Johnson had completed 542 hours of training through May 2007 and was awarded a basic certificate as a Certified Law Enforcement Officer through the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training on May 15, 2007. His records indicate Johnson has received two commendations for “exception service and dedication to duty.” The first was presented May 14, 2007, for Johnson’s work in a case involving the kidnapping and torture of a man at Malvern which. The second was presented Feb. 17, 2008, for Johnson’s work in apprehending three people, two of them juveniles, allegedly involved in theft of property from a commercial building. The personnel records obtained by the MDR show no disciplinary action has ever been taken against Johnson for any matter. Ross noted Monday that the case is still a priority for the department. Ross said MPD investigators received two new leads in the case last week, bringing the total to 99. Ross said investigators cleared 10 leads last week, leaving 12 open leads they continue to work. |
