ST. JOE, ARKANSAS, Ark. — On Tuesday (May 4) at 12:04 p.m., National Park Service (NPS) rangers pulled over a female driver and a male passenger, identified as 40-year-old Damon Scott Casey, of Little Rock, for routine traffic violations near Tyler Bend in the Middle District of Buffalo National River.
Rangers determined Casey to have possible, non-extraditable warrants from another jurisdiction, along with a lengthy criminal history involving firearms, drugs and assault and domestic violence and identified the two as persons of interest in a shooting incident in Pulaski County.
When rangers asked Casey and his female companion to step out of the vehicle, Casey refused and acted in a manner causing officers to believe the female might be in danger.
Casey produced a handgun, shot himself in the head and died on the scene.
His female companion and the responding rangers were unharmed.
Casey's remains were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy. No further details are available at this time.