In the small city of Pocahontas, Arkansas, a routine domestic disturbance call on April 15, 1991, escalated into a tragedy that would forever mark the community. Officer Scotty Lee Bennett, a 27-year-old male serving with the Pocahontas Police Department, responded to the call, a situation he and his fellow officers had addressed earlier the same day.
After the initial resolution, the officers had taken a break for supper, only to be summoned back to the same residence shortly after 7:00 PM.
Upon his return to the scene, as Officer Bennett stepped out of his patrol car, he was met with sudden and fatal violence. Dwight Sullinger, aged 33, emerged from his house and, without warning, fired a 12-gauge shotgun at close range, killing Officer Bennett instantly. The abruptness of the attack left no time for a response, a stark reminder of the unpredictable dangers faced by law enforcement officers. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Sullinger turned the shotgun on himself in an attempt to take his own life. He survived the self-inflicted wound and was subsequently taken into custody.
The loss of Officer Bennett, who had been with the department for two and a half years, was a profound blow to his family, colleagues, and the tight-knit community of Pocahontas. He was a husband and a father to three children. The man responsible for his death, Dwight Sullinger, was later charged and convicted of first-degree murder. He received a sentence of life in prison for the killing of Officer Scotty Lee Bennett. As of late 2022, he remained incarcerated, serving his sentence for a senseless act of violence that cut short the life of a dedicated officer.
