Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott Police Officer Charged With Four Felonies

A Prescott police officer has been charged in connection with a shooting incident recently.

According to reports, Sgt. Tyrone Butler, 29, has been charged with discharging a firearm from a vehicle, committing a terroristic act and two counts of aggravated assault.

The incident reportedly involved a high speed car chase when Butler was off duty, with him shooting at a vehicle with two Hope teenagers in it.

Butler and two cousins, Henry Butler, Jr., 22, of Fort Campbell, Ky. and Channing L. Butler, 21, of Prescott, were at the Hale Ave. Apartment housing project around midnight on July 20.

A vehicle with Rodrigues Nelson, 19, of Hope, and Ronald Booker, 16, of Hope, allegedly pulled up beside them, with Nelson reportedly getting out and asking Butler about buying his stereo system.

Butler, who was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, reportedly told the pair to get out of Prescott.

When they left, the Butlers followed them to a car wash in town. Nelson and Booker went from the car wash toward Hope on Highway 19, with witnesses telling Arkansas State Police investigators the Butler vehicle was following them, bumper to bumper.

Nelson and Booker said they thought they heard gunfire and turned their radio off to make sure. Once again, they told officers, they heard what they took to be gunshots.

The teens swerved their vehicle and sped up trying to get away from the Butler car, only to have the pursuit continue.

Booker told officers he saw muzzle flashes in the sun visor during the chase. Nelson, who was driving, lost control of the car on Interstate-30, spinning around and coming face-to-face with the Butler vehicle and Tyrone Butler's weapon.

Upon investigation officers found what appeared to be bullet strikes on Nelson's car, along the right half of the trunk, lower right back right window and right side of the rear window molding.

Butler is being represented by Prescott attorney Chuck Honey, who said his client has a different story for what happened on July 20.

According to Honey, Butler never followed the two teens, and none of the Butlers were armed at the time the incident allegedly occurred.

Honey's story has the Butlers in a vehicle at the apartment complex with the teens came up talking about having drugs and being armed.

When told they needed to stop talking in such a manner with a police officer nearby, the two fled, Honey said.

"They fabricated the (shooting) to cover their tracks," Honey said.

The teens initially reported the incident to the Hempstead County Sheriff's Office, with the HCSO passing the information to the Arkansas State Police.

At this time, the ASP has warrants out for the arrest of Henry and Channing Butler. They will be charged with the same offenses as Tyrone Butler. The two are expected to turn themselves in.

Meanwhile, Butler, the eight-year officer, has been suspended with pay from the Prescott Police Department.