In the quiet hills of Stone County, Arkansas, a long-serving officer’s life was cut short in the line of duty. Sergeant Michael David Stephen, Sr., a 56-year-old veteran of the Stone County Sheriff's Office, was killed on the morning of July 18, 2019. A dedicated public servant, he had devoted over 25 years to law enforcement and had been a volunteer firefighter since the age of sixteen.
On that Thursday morning, at approximately 9:00 am, Sergeant Stephen was responding to a domestic
disturbance call on Flag Road. While speaking with a woman in the front yard of the residence, a man opened fire, striking both Sergeant Stephen and the woman.
Responding deputies who arrived at the scene discovered that the individual who had shot Sergeant Stephen was deceased. Sergeant Stephen, a U.S. Army veteran and the fire chief for the Pineville Fire Department, succumbed to his injuries. He had served with the Stone County Sheriff's Office for 20 years. His career also included time with the Arkansas Department of Correction. He was survived by his wife, four children, and his parents.
