Arkansas State Police

Bentonville, AR: (May-03-07) Larry Norman, a former state trooper pleaded guilty to a negligent homicide charge over the fatal shooting of a mentally disabled man mistaken for a fugitive in 2006. Joseph Erin Hamley was mistaken to be a suspected escapee near the Benton-Washington county line, when Norman and several other officers were responded to the call. Officers expecting to find the felon, found Hamley, who refused officers' commands to keep his hands out of his pockets, which his mother later described as a nervous habit. Police reports show that Hamley was lying on his back and Norman fired after being on the scene less than a minute, after ignoring a command to block traffic and driving to the scene at 100 mph with his radio on. Norman pleaded guilty, claiming he mistook Hamley's actions as a threat. He faces up to a year in county jail and a fine of $1,000 over the misdemeanor charge. The Arkansas State Police gave a $1 million settlement check to the family of Joseph Erin Hamley for his wrongful death. [ROLLA DAILY NEWS: MISTAKEN ESCAPEE KILLED]

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Published on May-7-07