In the early morning hours of Christmas Day 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the holiday peace in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. At approximately 4:30 a.m., in the parking lot of Ernesto's Club on South Blake Street, 24-year-old Deondrick Clark, a Black male, was shot and killed while sitting inside a vehicle. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Clark with gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His death marked the 29th homicide in the city that year.
The investigation into the shooting continued for several months. On September 8, 2022, law enforcement arrested 20-year-old Darnell Ford in connection with Clark's death. Ford was taken into custody after a brief foot chase and was subsequently charged with capital murder, a terroristic act, and carrying a prohibited firearm.
Just a few days later, on September 11, a second suspect was apprehended. A 15-year-old male, identified in court records as Demonte Dorn, was arrested after being seen at a Watson Chapel High School football game. Dorn faced charges of capital murder, first-degree battery, and a terroristic act for his alleged involvement in the Christmas Day homicide. Both suspects were held at the Jefferson County Jail.
