Arkansas reserve deputy killed in shootout with burgarly suspect

An Arkansas reserve sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed during a shootout with a burglary suspect early Friday, authorities said.

Arkansas State Police said the deputy, Sonny Smith, was fatally shot overnight as he and other deputies from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office were searching for a burglary suspect 15 miles east of  Clarksville.

The department received a call at 1 a.m. reporting a burglary suspect in the vicinity of  County Road 1723, officials said.

During the search Smith, 42, confronted an individual identified as Fred Kaufield. In a press release, state police in a press release said Kaufield allegedly shot Smith.

Smith returned gunfire, police said. Kaufield sustained minor injuries but apparently was not shot. He was taken into custody.

Smith was pronounced dead at a hospital. He had been a reserve deputy for 11 years.

Earlier, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette spoke to Johnson County Judge Herman Houston about the shooting.

“It’s just a very sad situation,” Houston told the paper. “The attorney general has already called me with condolences. So much is going on nationwide and then something like this happens right here in such a close-knit community.”

In April, Oklahoma reserve deputy Robert Bates was charged with manslaughter after saying he mistook his weapon for a stun gun and shot a man who ran from police during an undercover sting operation. Bates has pleaded not guilty.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.