Local man charged in shooting of teen

Harris
Harris

A local man was arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with the Nov. 9 shooting of a 16-year-old male that a witness says stemmed from a drug deal, while the victim's mother claims it was a robbery.

Jamar Ray'Von Harris, 19, who lists a Vantage Street address, was taken into custody around 2 p.m. and charged with first-degree battery, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He remained in custody Friday in lieu of $50,000 bond and had a hold on him out of Saline County.

Harris appeared via video Friday morning in Garland County District Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge. A felony review hearing to determine if the charge will be bound over to Garland County Circuit Court is set for Dec. 18. Judge Meredith Switzer also issued a court order barring Harris from any future contact with the victim.

The victim, who was shot in the chest and back, was initially transported to the emergency room at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and "had no pulse" for several minutes, his mother told The Sentinel-Record.

"They wouldn't give up on him and just kept working on him and brought him back," she said. "They saved his life."

The victim was later transferred to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock where he has undergone one surgery on his back, she said, noting he lost one kidney, his spleen, part of his liver and part of his pancreas and one bullet also hit his spine, and "there is a possibility he could be paralyzed. We're still waiting to find out."

She said her son was still in the intensive care unit at Children's and still on a ventilator, but they were hopeful he might get taken off soon. "It's a miracle," she said. "He was dead. The best surgeon in the world saved him. They were saying there was no way he would survive, but now they're saying he could be off the ventilator."

According to the probable cause affidavit prepared by Garland County sheriff's investigators, on Nov. 9, shortly after 6:30 p.m., deputies responded to a residence in the 100 block of Fernwood after receiving a call from a female resident about shots fired. When they arrived they found the victim in the carport area with gunshot wounds.

Another juvenile male was present at the residence during the incident who was interviewed by investigators. He reportedly stated he had been in contact with Harris who wanted to buy some marijuana.

The juvenile said the victim and Harris had come to an agreement on a transaction of 2 ounces of marijuana for $380. Harris later arrived at the Fernwood residence and the juvenile male, the victim and Harris were all sitting inside a vehicle in the carport.

He said Harris presented four $100 bills and the victim told the juvenile to go inside to get change out of his bag. The juvenile stated while he was inside getting the money, the female resident asked, "What was that noise?" The juvenile returned outside and found the victim injured in the carport and the victim told him he had been shot.

He said Harris had fled the scene. Investigators reportedly found two spent shell casings inside the carport and found a handgun on the property next to the residence. A warrant was later issued for Harris' arrest.

The victim's mother said the juvenile's version of events is "clearly hearsay" and differed from what she heard from several other people there that day.

She said her son was there at his girlfriend's house with some fellow students from his private school and they were helping his girlfriend get ready for the return of her father, who had been on a military deployment.

"They were cleaning up the yard, cleaning up (the father's) truck. They were in the yard working when (Harris) and a carload of people pulled up," she said. "(Harris) was there to rob him and to take his backpack. They thought he had money. I heard they said they were there to get money and if they didn't get what they wanted they were going to shoot."

She said the juvenile witness was interviewed about 15 minutes after everything happened and she questioned his version of events. "Maybe he was the one trying to sell (Harris) drugs and my son just got caught in the middle."

She said her son "is a really great kid" who "lives to help everyone. He would give you the shirt off his back. He never causes problems. I think he got shot just because he wouldn't give up his backpack. He fought back."

Local on 11/18/2017

Upcoming Events