In the small town of Clarendon, Arkansas, a tragic event unfolded on February 27, 1975, that would end the life of a dedicated law enforcement officer. William Ronnie Brooks, a 27-year-old male Trooper with the Arkansas State Police, was killed in the line of duty while attempting to apprehend three escaped fugitives. The escapees had broken out of the Monroe County Jail, prompting a swift response from local law enforcement.
Trooper Brooks located the three fugitives just six blocks
from the jail and managed to get them all handcuffed and lying on the ground. In a sudden and violent turn of events, one of the apprehended men produced a hidden handgun and shot Trooper Brooks. The fatal encounter occurred in an alley, where Trooper Brooks had chased the men after they fled the jail just before noon.
Following the shooting, the three suspects were captured just minutes later. Two of the men, aged 29 and 36, were subsequently charged with and convicted of murder. Both were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Court records identify one of the convicted individuals as Larry Ray Hutcherson, who was found guilty of the capital murder of a policeman acting in the line of duty. The evidence presented at trial indicated that the weapon used to kill Trooper Brooks was a pistol that had been taken from a jailer during the escape.
