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| Updated: 1/24 10:55 pm |
Published: 1/24 5:09 pm |
LITTLE ROCK, AR – An Alexander Police officer who shot and killed a man during an arrest last September has been charged with manslaughter.
According to the Arkansas State Police, Officer Nancy Cummings encountered Carleton Wallace walking on Brookwood Road around 4:30pm Saturday, September 8th. During the subsequent arrest of Wallace, Cummings’ gun discharged, hitting Wallace.
Wallace was taken to Saline Memorial Hospital where he later died.
Cummings is scheduled to make her first appearance on Friday in Saline County District Court.
Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady tells Fox 16 that the charge of manslaughter was appropriate given the evidence collected during the investigation. In a statement, the family expressed confidence in Casady’s office and said they hope that he will “seek the maximum punishment allowable by law.”
Statement from the Wallace Family
We are relieved that the Saline County Prosecutor’s Office has affirmed what we have felt in our hearts – that our son did not need to die and that Officer Cumming’s actions were not in conformity with standard police practices. We have confidence in the ability of Mr. Cassidy’s office to vigorously and successfully prosecute Mr. Wallace’s killer and we hope he will seek the maximum punishment allowable by law.
We are also grateful to the Arkansas State Police for their thorough investigation into our son’s death. Since Carleton was killed on September 8, we have been in the dark waiting to hear the circumstances surrounding his death. The wait was heartbreaking, and sometimes painful, but we were willing to endure so that the truth would be uncovered.
Clearly, nothing is going to bring our son back. But we are gratified to know that at least there will be some accountability for Officer Cummings’s actions.
