The Washington County Sheriff’s Office released the footage on Sunday, with Sheriff Tim Helder saying the incident had already been filmed and posted online by a bystander.
“Since there is already bystander footage that has been shared via social media and local news outlets regarding the traffic stop that occurred this past Sunday,” WCSO wrote on their Facebook page. “Because of the great public interest it has generated, Sheriff Helder made the decision to share the combined footage that includes Corporal Thompson’s dash cam as well.”
The suspect -29-year-old Luis Cobos-Cenobio- was stopped by Corporal Brett Thompson on the afternoon of November 11, who witnessed Cenobio commit a traffic violation and suspected the suspect was attempting to grab something from under his seat.
Parking in front of a house in Tonitown, Cenobio, opened the door of his vehicle and began shooting at CPL Thompson as the lawman began to dismount from his vehicle.
Thompson returned fire in self-defense, exchanging several shots and possibly wounding Cenobio in the left arm.
Cenobio moved with surprising precision as he closed distance with Thompson, and experts who reviewed the footage have reason to believe that the suspect had some form of training.
Likely realizing he could not sustain himself in a prolonged gunfight, Cenobio fled the scene, dumping a woman out of the vehicle as he made good his escape. She was taken into custody.
Responding to the agency’s video on Facebook, Tonitown resident John Binyon recounted the chaos that unfolded in his front yard.
“This took place in front of our home,” he wrote. “I was on the couch about 20 feet from the Saturn when the shots began and placed the 911 call you hear. Corporal Thompson and all the other responding WCSO officers were so incredibly composed and professional throughout. Even afterward, when he took the female into custody, he was calm and collected, and treated her with dignity.”
After Thompson gave an alert to be on the lookout for Cenobio, nearby Springdale, where shots were fired. Eventually, the Arkansas State Police joined the chase, and Cenobio was taken into custody.
According to Arkansas Online, Cenobio was treated for his injuries and faces four charges of attempted capital murder and one charge each of fleeing, terroristic act, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A non-US citizen whose residency status is currently unknown, Cenobio has drawn the attention of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who have since placed a hold on him. Such holds could reflect a person who is in the country illegally or someone who is a foreign national and has committed a crime that makes them eligible for deportation.
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