On the night of March 20, 1981, West Fork Police Chief Paul Mueller was on patrol when he initiated a traffic stop on Highway 71. He suspected the driver of being intoxicated. Unbeknownst to Chief Mueller, the two occupants of the vehicle, Rodney Britton and Billy Gale Henry, had just committed an armed robbery at a Pizza Hut in Fayetteville. As Chief Mueller approached the car, he was met with gunfire and was struck in the chest.
Despite being mortally wounded, Chief Mueller was able to
return fire, wounding Henry. Britton fled the scene in the vehicle, leaving both Chief Mueller and the injured Henry behind on the side of the road. Gasoline attendants later found the chief next to his patrol car, its lights still flashing and the engine running. Paul Mueller had served with the West Fork Police Department for six years and was survived by his wife and two children.
A massive manhunt for Rodney Britton ensued, which came to a violent end four days later on March 24, 1981, when he was shot and killed in a shootout with officers. Billy Gale Henry was taken into custody at the scene of the shooting. He was subsequently convicted of capital murder for his role in Chief Mueller's death and was sentenced to death. However, the Arkansas Supreme Court later reduced his sentence to life in prison, and he died behind bars in 1994.
