In the summer of 2020, the life of Cedric Dewayne Sloan, a 39-year-old Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. On the afternoon of July 6th, police responded to a call about an armed disturbance on Union Avenue. Their investigation quickly led them to a residence in the 7300 block of Rosswood Colony. Inside, they found Cedric Sloan suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention, but tragically, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The news of Sloan's death marked the city's 14th homicide of the year. Remembered as a beloved member of his community, he was known for his involvement in his church choir and his passion for providing healthy meal options to locals. A devoted father of three, his friends and family admired his dedication to his children and his considerable culinary talents. He was often described as a big teddy bear who brought a smile to everyone's face.
In the wake of the shooting, the Pine Bluff Police Department swiftly identified a person of interest, 41-year-old Kevin Kimble. Shortly after being named, Kimble was located and taken into custody by law enforcement. He was subsequently booked into the Jefferson County Jail.
Following the investigation into the events that transpired on that fatal afternoon, Kevin Kimble was formally charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Cedric Sloan. His arrest brought a swift, if somber, development to a case that had suddenly taken a respected community member and left a family grieving an irreplaceable loss. A funeral service for Sloan was later held on July 18, 2020, at Highland Missionary Baptist Church in Pine Bluff.
