The Benton County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as 39-year-old Christopher Hood (pictured below). He is 5-foot-11 and 140 pounds, with brown hair, a grey goatee and hazel eyes. Both of his arms are sleeved in tattoos. He was last seen wearing a grey shirt, green shorts and a white ball cap. Hood is considered armed and dangerous.
The "large-scale" manhunt for Hood was called off early Saturday (July 11) just before 2 a.m., but in a Facebook post Saturday at about 4 a.m., the Benton County Sheriff's Office said authorities were still seeking the suspect.
"The large scale search for Christopher Hood has been called off," the Facebook post notes. "There are still deputies and detectives searching for him. An arrest warrant will be obtained for several charges, including aggravated assault and fleeing related to this incident. We will continue to follow up on calls and investigate every tip. Anyone found aiding and abetting this subject will face felony hindering charges."
An alert from the Benton County Sheriff's Office recommended people stay indoors. It also instructed anyone who saw the subject to call 911 instead of approaching him.
Hood shot at a Benton County Sheriff's Office deputy after the deputy tried to serve him a warrant for a parole violation, according to the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Hood is also connected to several local burglaries, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities said Hood initially fled in a vehicle across the golf course, then fired at the deputy as he fled on foot after he crashed. The deputy wasn't injured.
Police evacuated and locked down the nearby Walmart Neighborhood Market on Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard, as well as some nearby homes and businesses. They also blocked westbound traffic on that road. Traffic was also being detoured on Southwest I Street.
Police started letting residents back into the apartment complex before midnight. They asked drivers to turn on the lights in their cars and asked for their identification before letting them inside.
"We got a tip that came in that said they were driving on Highway 12, and they saw a man matching the description of Christopher Hood that was running and ducking in the bushes,” said Keshia Guyll, public information officer for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.
K9 units were able to track Hood along the highway, picking up tracks alongside a ditch. Deputies said they believe Hood fled in a vehicle and could be headed toward Fayetteville.
The incident began before 9 p.m. and the SWAT team was called in about 10:15 p.m.
