Batesville Police Department officials have released more information surrounding Thursday night’s reported shooting incident and an ensuing one-vehicle crash near a Littlefield convenience store. And the department is also confirming investigators are working on a reported shooting incident last night at Hawg’s Exxon.
A release from the investigative division of the Batesville Police Department said around 8:30 Thursday night, BPD officers were dispatched to the area of Chaney Drive and St. Louis Street in regards to a single-vehicle crash.
A gold-colored sedan had smashed into a utility pole located beside the Littlefield store, affecting a transformer in the area, the release said. Dispatch also informed responding officers that witnesses came forward stating that they had observed the sedan driving through the south side of Riverside Park. The witnesses informed officers they believed they had heard gunshots coming from the gold sedan.
Additional witnesses, who were in a vehicle driving in the area, said they were passed by the sedan, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, according to the release. As the speeding sedan approached the intersection of Meyers and Chaney, they said they believed they heard two more gunshots come from the vehicle. The witnesses said they lost sight of the sedan before discovering it crashed.
The release said other witnesses at the crash scene saw two male subjects flee the area on foot.
Based on the witnesses’ description of the two subjects, a 34-year-old male was later located on Broad Street, and he was determined to be the suspected passenger in the vehicle. And through further investigation, the release said a 26-year-old male, the suspected driver of the crashed vehicle, was later located in Cleburne County.
Both suspects are in custody and have been placed on a Criminal Investigation Division Hold at the Independence County Detention Facility.
The release said it is believed at this time that the shots fired were random and into the air, and were not directed at any person or object. This is an ongoing investigation, according to the BPD.
And details have been limited on another reported shooting from last night at Hawg’s Exxon on St. Louis Street.
According to a report from KAIT 8 News, BPD officers received a call at about 8:30 p.m. regarding a shooting in the parking lot of the convenience store and gas station. The report said one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a firearm was taken from the scene. (Click here to read the KAIT report.)
In a text to White River Now Sunday morning, Batesville Police Chief Alan Cockrill said the investigation regarding last night’s incident is ongoing as well.
White River Now will update these stories as they develop.
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