Suspect is Dead in Shooting of Rogers Officer, Apparent Suicide
By: Tom Yazwinski
Updated: May 2, 2012
Rogers Police say the man who shot and injured a Rogers Police Corporal has died of self inflicted gunshot wounds.
According to police, the first incident happened just after 2:30 AM near Lake Atlanta. Police say Cpl. Jeff Pollock was investigating a parked car near the dam at Lake Atalanta Park. Pollack spoke briefly with the driver of the vehicle, before the man pulled out a handgun and shot the officer at close range.
"Luckily the round didn't hit any vital organs," Chief James Allen of the Rogers Police department says. "It missed the bulletproof vest... and is a flesh wound through and through."
The Corporal fell back into the lake, but managed to fire three shots at Duffy's car as it sped away.
Madison County Sheriff's deputies caught up with the suspect at Duffy's girlfriend's house in the War Eagle area, according to Captain Mike Sydoriak of the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
"He appeared in his car from behind the house came over an embankment they were able to force him off the road," Sydoriak says. "They boxed him in they had him raise his hands which he he complied."
Sydoriak says moments later Duffy fired his weapon inside the car, killing himself.
"The next thing they heard were two gunshots and his hands dropped, Deputies approached the vehicle and pulled the suspect out, handcuffed him and then they noticed two gunshot wounds to his... chest area."
The gun found in the car was a .357 caliber, reportedly stolen from his father earlier that week. The Benton County Sheriff arrived a short time later and took over the investigation.
"The body will be sent to crime lab for an autopsy along with a revolver that we found in the vehicle," Sydoriak says.
At a press conference this afternoon, Chief Allen says Duffy did not head to his girlfriends house to surrender.
"We think he was planning to flee the area," Allen says. "If it wasn't for those Madison County Deputies he might have hurt somebody else before the end of the day."
Family members of the deceased have reached out to KNWA. They tell us Lance Duffy recently questioned by Rogers police over a stolen gun.
Family members said Duffy has struggled with mental illness although he was never diagnosed with anything and was not on any medication. In a Facebook post from early Wednesday morning, Duffy wrote "...I just shot a cop..." At the press conference, police say they thought Duffy's posts seemed boastful and mentally unstable. His family told us Duffy was unpredictable at times.
Benton County Sheriff's officer and Rogers Police are continuing an investigation and say more details will be coming out.
According to police, the first incident happened just after 2:30 AM near Lake Atlanta. Police say Cpl. Jeff Pollock was investigating a parked car near the dam at Lake Atalanta Park. Pollack spoke briefly with the driver of the vehicle, before the man pulled out a handgun and shot the officer at close range.
"Luckily the round didn't hit any vital organs," Chief James Allen of the Rogers Police department says. "It missed the bulletproof vest... and is a flesh wound through and through."
The Corporal fell back into the lake, but managed to fire three shots at Duffy's car as it sped away.
Madison County Sheriff's deputies caught up with the suspect at Duffy's girlfriend's house in the War Eagle area, according to Captain Mike Sydoriak of the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
"He appeared in his car from behind the house came over an embankment they were able to force him off the road," Sydoriak says. "They boxed him in they had him raise his hands which he he complied."
Sydoriak says moments later Duffy fired his weapon inside the car, killing himself.
"The next thing they heard were two gunshots and his hands dropped, Deputies approached the vehicle and pulled the suspect out, handcuffed him and then they noticed two gunshot wounds to his... chest area."
The gun found in the car was a .357 caliber, reportedly stolen from his father earlier that week. The Benton County Sheriff arrived a short time later and took over the investigation.
"The body will be sent to crime lab for an autopsy along with a revolver that we found in the vehicle," Sydoriak says.
At a press conference this afternoon, Chief Allen says Duffy did not head to his girlfriends house to surrender.
"We think he was planning to flee the area," Allen says. "If it wasn't for those Madison County Deputies he might have hurt somebody else before the end of the day."
Family members of the deceased have reached out to KNWA. They tell us Lance Duffy recently questioned by Rogers police over a stolen gun.
Family members said Duffy has struggled with mental illness although he was never diagnosed with anything and was not on any medication. In a Facebook post from early Wednesday morning, Duffy wrote "...I just shot a cop..." At the press conference, police say they thought Duffy's posts seemed boastful and mentally unstable. His family told us Duffy was unpredictable at times.
Benton County Sheriff's officer and Rogers Police are continuing an investigation and say more details will be coming out.
