On a summer morning in Sebastian County, Arkansas, a veteran law enforcement officer's life was tragically cut short in the line of duty. William Pressley Cooper, a 66-year-old White male, held the rank of Corporal with the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office. His nearly two decades of service to the community came to a violent end on August 10, 2016, when he responded to a domestic disturbance call near Hackett.
The call, which came from the father of the suspect, reported a man armed
with a rifle. Upon arrival at the residence on Highway 253, Corporal Cooper and other officers were immediately met with gunfire. The assailant, later identified as Billy Jones, was armed with a rifle and wearing body armor. In the initial volley of shots, Corporal Cooper was fatally wounded. Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells also suffered a grazing head wound during the attack.
Following the shooting, a tense standoff ensued as Jones barricaded himself inside his home. Law enforcement, including SWAT teams, surrounded the residence. After several hours, Jones surrendered to the authorities and was taken into custody. Tragically, Corporal Cooper was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The aftermath of the shooting saw the community mourning a dedicated officer described as a 'perfect example' of a community-focused law enforcement professional. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Cooper had served with the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office for 19 years and had previously been with the Fort Smith Police Department for five years. The man responsible for his death, Billy Monroe Jones, faced the full force of the law. He pleaded guilty to capital murder and ten counts of attempted capital murder, among other charges. On November 29, 2016, Jones was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
