Late Friday night, 23-year-old Jeremy Lawrence Jr. was fatally struck by officers from the Pine Bluff Police Department after a high-speed-vehicle stop and ensuing foot-chase in east Pine Bluff. Coroner Chad Kelley confirmed the victim’s identity and age on Saturday morning.
Officers say that around 10:30 p.m., they attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on West 27th Avenue. The car came to a halt near the intersection of 27th and Maple, and three males exited. As one (later identified as Lawrence) fled on foot toward the 1800–1900 block of West 28th Avenue, officers say he “may have” opened fire at them — prompting the officers to return fire and wound him multiple times. He collapsed in a yard and was rushed to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Lawrence’s two companions were taken into custody at the scene without incident. No officers were reported injured. The Arkansas State Police’s Criminal Investigation Division has taken over the probe at the request of the Pine Bluff department. They’re working to determine whether deadly force was legally justified, with the findings to go to the Jefferson County Prosecutor.
However, on Saturday the Pine Bluff PD walked back some of its earlier statements. A spokesperson admitted the department could no longer confirm that Lawrence fired a weapon at officers during the incident. “It is undetermined if the suspect fired a weapon at this time,” said the department’s Public Information Officer. Meanwhile, the state police version says a suspect with a firearm fled the stopped vehicle and then officers fired on him — but it does not explicitly say he fired at the officers first.
Lawrence – reported to be 23 years old – leaves behind a girlfriend and three young children, according to family statements obtained by local media. He had recently lost his job and was reportedly trying to get back on his feet when the night’s events unfolded. (Coroner Kelley did not release further identity details or the exact circumstances leading up to the stop.)
Neighbors on West 28th described hearing the gunfire and finding officers near a yard where several spent shell-casings lay. “We heard pops, then saw flashing lights and officers running,” one resident said. The somber scene was followed by officers quietly taking photographs and canvassing yard to yard early Saturday morning.
Investigators say the crime lab will examine evidence including any firearm recovered and shell-casings, and prepare a full investigative file for the prosecutor to review. Meanwhile, the three officers involved have been placed on administrative leave — a routine step in shootings involving law enforcement.
The community in Pine Bluff, Arkansas is left grappling both with relief that no officers were hurt and with sorrow and unanswered questions about how a traffic stop escalated into a fatal exchange in under a minute. As the investigation continues, many are hoping the full facts will soon bring clarity and closure.