Man guilty of killing Arkansas officer gets 2 life sentences

Jul 30, 2022, 10:20 AM | Updated: 10:21 am

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for fatally shooting a police officer during a traffic stop in 2020 and firing at another officer on the scene.

A jury on Thursday convicted Kayvon Ward, 24, of first-degree murder in the death of Hot Springs police Officer Brent Scrimshire and aggravated assault for shooting at the other officer, who wasn’t struck. The same jury sentenced Ward on Friday.

Garland County Circuit Judge Marcia Hearnsberger ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

“There is no excuse for your actions and the pain and suffering you caused for so many people,” Hearnsberger told Ward.

After Scrimshire stopped Ward for running a stop sign, Ward tried to flee. Ward testified that he fired a gun, but said he just wanted the officer chasing him to get down as he fled.

The jury had found Ward guilty on Thursday of first-degree murder rather than capital murder, as prosecutors had sought. A capital murder conviction would have carried a potential death penalty.

William James, Ward’s attorney, thanked the jury for choosing the lesser charge, The Sentinel-Record reported.

“There are no winners here, we’re all losers,” James said.

Scrimshire’s widow, Rachel Scrimshire, told the newspaper she was unhappy with the conviction, but satisfied with the sentence.

Ward was also convicted of possession of a defaced firearm, resisting arrest, obstructing government operations and fleeing.

At the time of the traffic stop, Ward had an outstanding warrant related to a shooting the year before in Hot Springs.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
4 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
7 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
7 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
13 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
21 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
21 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
(Photo via MLB's Arizona Fall League / Twitter)...
Arizona Fall League

Top prospects to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League

One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday.
Man guilty of killing Arkansas officer gets 2 life sentences