On a late Wednesday evening in Stuttgart, Arkansas, the life of 45-year-old Sergeant Donald Scoby was cut short in the line of duty. The series of events that led to his death began around 11:00 p.m. on December 14, 2022, when Sgt. Scoby attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 31-year-old Jacob Cole Barnes of Mountain View, refused to stop and fled, initiating a vehicle pursuit.
The chase wound its way south of the city, ending near Rieger Road
and S Yoder Road where Barnes abandoned his vehicle and took off on foot. Sgt. Scoby pursued him, and during the foot chase, Barnes opened fire, fatally wounding the sergeant. Following the shooting, Barnes, who was reportedly armed and wearing body armor, forced his way into a nearby residence on Rieger Road, taking a woman hostage. The resident barricaded herself inside and was later safely rescued by the Arkansas State Police SWAT team.
As the standoff continued into the early morning hours of December 15, a perimeter was established around the home. Shortly after the hostage was extricated around 7 a.m., Barnes exchanged gunfire with the SWAT team members. During this exchange, an Arkansas State Trooper was shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, Jacob Cole Barnes, was fatally wounded during the shootout, bringing the tense and tragic incident to a close. Sergeant Scoby, a four-year veteran of the Stuttgart Police Department, was remembered as a dedicated officer and a beloved member of the community. The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division is leading the investigation into the shooting.
