In the early morning hours of June 19, 2009, a dedicated public servant, Assistant Chief Joseph 'Joey' Christopher Cannon, a 50-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically killed in the line of duty. With a distinguished 27-year career in law enforcement, the last nine of which were with the Plumerville Police Department, he was just two weeks away from a well-deserved retirement. The fatal encounter began around 6:20 a.m. on U.S.
Highway 64 when Assistant Chief Cannon initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle that had been reported stolen. After verifying the status of the vehicle, he called for backup from a Conway County deputy.
As he approached the stolen pickup truck, Assistant Chief Cannon was shot once in the chest with a. 22 caliber handgun. Despite being rushed to Conway Regional Medical Center, he succumbed to the grievous wound. The events that followed moved swiftly, with law enforcement quickly taking a passenger from the truck into custody at the scene of the shooting.
The driver, who had fled the scene, was apprehended a short time later in the neighboring Faulkner County. He was identified as 25-year-old Shane Lonix. In November 2010, Lonix pleaded guilty to capital murder. In a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the court proceedings, Lonix offered an apology to the family and friends of the fallen officer for his actions. Assistant Chief Cannon was survived by his son, who is a Conway County deputy, his daughter, a dispatcher for Perry County, five grandchildren, two brothers, and four sisters, leaving behind a legacy of service and sacrifice.
