Helena-West Helena, AR – Authorities announced that the man wanted for killing a Helena-West Helena police officer on Thursday night has been captured.
Arkansas State Police said that 29-year-old Latarius Howard was taken into custody on Friday morning, WREG reported.
Howard, also known as L.T. Truitt, and an accomplice were captured and arrested in Mississippi by Arkansas State Police troopers, U.S. Marshals, and other federal law enforcement officers.
Officials haven’t said where exactly the suspects were found, but police had previously said that Howard had ties to Leland County, Mississippi, WATN reported.
#BREAKING @ARStatePolice tell me Latarius Howard is in custody. More details to come later this morning. I’m live at 9 on @LocalMemphis https://t.co/qBSLyt5BOk
— Jalyn Souchek (@Local24Jalyn) November 13, 2020
ATF Little Rock agents are part of large multi-agency law enforcement manhunt for suspect Latarius Howard who shot Helena-West Helena police officer. Howard, aka L.T. Truitt, has ties in Phillips Co., Jonesboro, Little Rock, Leland, Miss. pic.twitter.com/odqyBB3xMi
— ATF New Orleans (@ATFNewOrleans) November 13, 2020
Helena-West Helena Police Chief James Patrick Smith said the incident occurred on Nov. 12 when two officers responded to a tip that a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting could be found at the Delta Inn Motel, CNN reported.
Chief Smith said that when the officers arrived at the motel, they encountered a maroon SUV.
The chief said that the SUV pulled up to the police car and the passenger got out and opened fire on the officers, WMC reported.
One of the officers was fatally shot, the other was not hit.
The officer who wasn’t injured identified the cop killer as Howard, WMC reported.
Howard is also the suspect in the Nov. 1 shooting of 45-year-old Charles Selvy at his home in the 300-block of Denise Drive in West Helena.
Selvy told police he was sitting on his couch listening to music when an unidentified suspect entered the house, hit him in the head, and shot him, according to WMC.
Police later learned that Howard may have been involved in the incident.
Officers were trying to apprehend him when he opened fire on them, WMC reported.
Officials have not yet released the name of the murdered officer.
Arkansas State Police troopers and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined local authorities in a manhunt for the suspect overnight, according to FOX News.
This morning the search continues for Latarius Howard the suspect of a shooting that killed a police officer at this motel in Helena-West Helena. We’re live on #GoodDayMemphis pic.twitter.com/fFspcvhmrT
— Jalyn Souchek (@Local24Jalyn) November 13, 2020
BREAKING: .@ATFNewOrleans Special Agents from Little Rock Field Office are responding to report of a shooting of a police officer outside of Helena-West Helena, AR. Please direct all media inquiries to Helena-West Helena PD. pic.twitter.com/BlpOfFD9b2
— ATF New Orleans (@ATFNewOrleans) November 13, 2020
Please keep the Helena-West Helena Police Department, Arkansas in your thoughts and prayers. They had an officer shot and killed last night.#officerdown #neverforgetthefallen #EOW #HelenaWestHelena #arkansas pic.twitter.com/0MJPCL1lQF
— Oakboro Police Dept. (@Oakboropolicenc) November 13, 2020
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Holly Matkin
