Cop charged with manslaughter in shooting death
LITTLE ROCK, AR – An Alexander Cop who shot and killed a man
during an arrest last September has been charged with manslaughter.
According to the Arkansas State Police, Officer Nancy
Cummings encountered Carleton Wallace walking on Brookwood Road around 4:30pm
Saturday, September 8th. During the subsequent arrest of Wallace, Cummings’ gun
discharged, hitting Wallace.
Wallace was taken to Saline Memorial Hospital where he later
died.
Cummings is scheduled to make her first appearance on Friday
in Saline County District Court.
Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady tells Fox 16 that the charge
of manslaughter was appropriate given the evidence collected during the
investigation. In a statement, the family expressed confidence in Casady’s
office and said they hope that he will “seek the maximum punishment allowable
by law.”
Statement from the Wallace Family
We are relieved that the Saline County Prosecutor’s Office
has affirmed what we have felt in our hearts – that our son did not need to die
and that Officer Cumming’s actions were not in conformity with standard police
practices. We have confidence in the ability of Mr. Cassidy’s office to
vigorously and successfully prosecute Mr. Wallace’s killer and we hope he will
seek the maximum punishment allowable by law.
We are also grateful to the Arkansas State Police for their
thorough investigation into our son’s death. Since Carleton was killed on
September 8, we have been in the dark waiting to hear the circumstances
surrounding his death. The wait was heartbreaking, and sometimes painful, but
we were willing to endure so that the truth would be uncovered.
Clearly, nothing is going to bring our son back. But we are
gratified to know that at least there will be some accountability for Officer
Cummings’s actions.