FORT SMITH -- An Arkansas man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Tuesday after pleading guilty to capital murder in the fatal shooting of a sheriff's deputy earlier this year.
Billy Monroe Jones also pleaded guilty Tuesday to 10 counts of attempted capital murder for opening fire on other law enforcement officers during the August incident in rural western Arkansas. Jones admitted fatally shooting Sebastian County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Cooper and opening fire on the officers who had initially responded to a domestic disturbance call after Jones allegedly threatened a family member with a gun.
Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells was also wounded in the shooting.
Prosecutors had previously announced plans to seek the death penalty in the case, had it gone to trial. Prosecutor Dan Shue said his office agreed to the plea deal with Jones after consulting Cooper's widow and the other officers involved in the incident.
"I do know with all of my heart that Bill Cooper would not want his wife to go through a death penalty trial with more than likely or certainly of appeal after appeal," Sebastian County Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck said. "Billy Jones took a man from us that more than likely would have been the first deputy standing in line to help Billy Jones, if in fact he asked for it."
State Desk on 11/30/2016