MENA, Ark — According to the Arkansas State Police (ASP), The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has asked the ASP to investigate a deadly shooting that occurred on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Mena.
An ASP report says that officers with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Mena Police Department were attempting to locate Joseph Gonzalez, 27, of Cove, who was wanted for outstanding warrants out of Texas.
After a deputy allegedly tried to take him into custody outside of a Mena restaurant, police say that Gonzalez attempted to flee and struck a deputy with his vehicle in the process.
A Mena Police officer then allegedly fired two rounds into the vehicle as Gonzales continued to flee. Police say that Gonzales lost control of the vehicle less than a mile away, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deputy reportedly hit by Gonzales’s car during the incident was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and has been released.
It is unclear whether the shots fired by the officer hit Gonzales, only that the officer "fired two rounds into the vehicle" before it crashed.
ASP reports that an investigative case file will be presented to the Polk County prosecuting attorney, who will determine whether the use of deadly force by officers was consistent with Arkansas law.
5NEWS will update this story as more information becomes available.
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