Little Rock authorities this past Monday identified the 54-year-old man fatally shot by police in a downtown alleyway early last Sunday.
Michael Hornibrook of Little Rock died after he was shot by Little Rock police behind the downtown bar Ernie Biggs, authorities said.
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| MICHAEL HART HORNIBROOK - GUN TOTING CUSTOMER OF ERNIE BIGGS |
Police said two Little Rock officers fired at Hornibrook after he reportedly raised a pistol toward the officers, Officer Brian Osmundson and Officer Samuel Hill.
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| LRPD OFFICERS BRIAN ORMUNDSON (LEFT) AND SAMUEL HILL (RIGHT) |
In the lead-up to the fatal shooting, Little Rock officers were in the 300 block of President Clinton Avenue about 2:06 a.m. Sunday when they were approached by 29-year-old Charles Phelps, who reported that a man had pointed a gun at him, according to a police report.
Phelps told the officers that he was standing near Ernie Biggs when a man, later identified as Hornibrook, came out of the bar and began saying "racial slurs," according to the report.
Phelps, who is black, said he told Hornibrook that he did not want any trouble, the report said.
Hornibrook began to walk away, but then pointed a pistol at Phelps and said he was going to shoot, Phelps told police.
Phelps ran to several officers and informed them of the situation before identifying Hornibrook, who was standing in the middle of President Clinton Avenue, police said.
Osmundson and Hill told investigators they tried to stop Hornibrook, but he ran west and took a left onto Cumberland Street. Police said they told Hornibrook to stop numerous times.
Hornibrook fled south on Cumberland Street and the two officers chased him into the alley behind Ernie Biggs, according to the report.
Police said both officers were chasing Hornibrook in the alley when Hornibrook stopped and turned toward officers with a pistol in his hand, "raising it as if to fire at the officers," according to a statement from the department.
Both officers then fired at Hornibrook, according to a police report.
Hornibrook suffered "multiple gunshot wounds" and was taken to the UAMS Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Hornibrook's death is the second fatal officer-involved shooting in Little Rock this year. Online court records show Hornibrook did not have any felony convictions.
Pete Hornibrook, Michael Hornibrook's uncle, told the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette Monday that his nephew was a generous man and a father of three.
"He was a good father and a good man," he said.
Pete Hornibrook, who serves as the vice chairman of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Commission, described the shooting as a "senseless tragedy" and said his family has received hundreds of calls since his nephew's death.
"It's just hard for us to understand," he said.
It's not hard to understand that a gun is a bar is a bad idea.
It's not hard to understand that someone drinking in a bar at 2:00 a.m., carrying a handgun is a bad idea.
According to Hornibrook's family and his obituary he was a good man.
We found that Hornibrook had quite a history that calls his alleged goodness into question.
An early run in with the law was when he was 19 for engaging a prostitute for services.
This was followed by a conviction for being drunk in public in 1984.
Then again in 1989.
Then again in 1990.
Then again in 2008, but he got lucky - he was arrested for being drunk in public but the case was not pursued. Are you seeing a pattern???
Hornibrook had a multitude of other offenses, such as not wearing a seatbelt, driving left of center, driving with no license plate, parking in a handicapped zone, violations of Little Rock Ordinances, and several instances of failing to pay individual and business income taxes that resulted in the State of Arkansas placing liens on him.
Hornibrook also had issues with paying his child support obligations and even lost parental rights of a son.
In fact at the time of his death there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
As we mentioned, Hornibrook had issues with paying his taxes, but he also had problems paying fees related to businesses he operated.
The State of Arkansas actually revoked his ability to operate all the businesses he ever operated because he failed to pay the required yearly franchise tax.
The warrant that was active at the time he was killed by LRPD was for failing to appear at Little Rock District Court over fees he owed the City of Little Rock for a business, Native Vapors, he was operating.
Because the Arkansas Secretary of State would not permit Hornibrook to operate a business in the state until he paid all the back taxes he owed, he used his son's (same one of which he was stripped of his parental rights) name to register the business.
Houston Hornibrook was in high school when this filing was made and upon graduation he moved to Louisiana to attend college and work at a grocery store.
Hornibrook also had a run in with the Arkansas Securities Department back in 2010 when he was found to be selling unregistered securities and had no license to sell any type of securities.
http://www.securities.arkansas.gov/!userfiles/S-08-024-10-OR02(1).pdf
Was this "good man" over-served alcoholic beverages by Ernie Biggs employees? Did Hornibrook have a concealed carry permit? Did Ernie Biggs security use a metal detecting wand and to ensure patrons did not bring weapons into the bar? What was Hornibrook's blood alcohol content at the time of his death?
An early run in with the law was when he was 19 for engaging a prostitute for services.
This was followed by a conviction for being drunk in public in 1984.
Then again in 1989.
Then again in 2008, but he got lucky - he was arrested for being drunk in public but the case was not pursued. Are you seeing a pattern???
Hornibrook had a multitude of other offenses, such as not wearing a seatbelt, driving left of center, driving with no license plate, parking in a handicapped zone, violations of Little Rock Ordinances, and several instances of failing to pay individual and business income taxes that resulted in the State of Arkansas placing liens on him.
Hornibrook also had issues with paying his child support obligations and even lost parental rights of a son.
In fact at the time of his death there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
As we mentioned, Hornibrook had issues with paying his taxes, but he also had problems paying fees related to businesses he operated.
The State of Arkansas actually revoked his ability to operate all the businesses he ever operated because he failed to pay the required yearly franchise tax.
The warrant that was active at the time he was killed by LRPD was for failing to appear at Little Rock District Court over fees he owed the City of Little Rock for a business, Native Vapors, he was operating.
Because the Arkansas Secretary of State would not permit Hornibrook to operate a business in the state until he paid all the back taxes he owed, he used his son's (same one of which he was stripped of his parental rights) name to register the business.
Houston Hornibrook was in high school when this filing was made and upon graduation he moved to Louisiana to attend college and work at a grocery store.
Hornibrook also had a run in with the Arkansas Securities Department back in 2010 when he was found to be selling unregistered securities and had no license to sell any type of securities.
http://www.securities.arkansas.gov/!userfiles/S-08-024-10-OR02(1).pdf
Was this "good man" over-served alcoholic beverages by Ernie Biggs employees? Did Hornibrook have a concealed carry permit? Did Ernie Biggs security use a metal detecting wand and to ensure patrons did not bring weapons into the bar? What was Hornibrook's blood alcohol content at the time of his death?
These are questions the ABC and tainted ABC Enforcement Director Boyce Hamlet will have to answer.
Did Hamlet caution legislators and the Governor against passage of the bill that would allow concealed handgun carry permit holders the right to carry handguns into bars like Ernie Biggs?
Probably not.