Police in Conway, Arkansas, fatally shot a man after he fired at officers at a shopping mall on Saturday morning. The incident began when the man drove a vehicle into a massage therapy business at the Lewis Crossing Shopping Center, prompting a police response.
According to Conway police, a SWAT team discovered an armed man who barricaded himself in a room. While officers were in communication with the man, he fired at them, and officers returned fire, striking the man. The man, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital where he later died. No officers were injured in the incident.
Officer Shad Foley, a spokesperson for the Conway Police Department, stated that the investigation into the incident is ongoing and could not confirm the motive behind the man's actions or whether charges would be filed against him.
Photos and videos from the scene showed the man's white SUV inside the Massage Envy storefront. Nearby businesses were evacuated, and a SWAT team entered a restaurant adjacent to the massage business. Glass windows at the front of both businesses were shattered during the incident.
Arkansas State Police are investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure in cases where local police are involved in a shooting. Cindy Murphy, a spokesperson for the state police, stated that investigators will present their findings to local prosecutors to determine if any laws were violated.
Conway, with a population of about 67,000 people, is located approximately 33 miles north of Little Rock.