Officers in Jonesboro off-duty shooting identified

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Photo: Contributed/Jonesboro Police Department

Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – According to a police report released by the Jonesboro Police Department (JPD), the officers involved in the off-duty shooting earlier this week have been identified. The shooting sent one of them to the hospital.

Officers Brandon Meeker, 25, and Samuel Rodgers, 22, were the two involved. Rodgers is listed as the victim of the shooting. On Monday, JPD released the following in reference to the shooting:

“Shortly before 1 p.m., first responders were called to the area of Red Wolf Blvd. and Stallings Lane for a reported accidental shooting. The incident involved two off-duty JPD officers who were traveling together. The victim was transported to an area hospital for further treatment. The Arkansas State Police have been called in to continue their investigation into the events of this shooting.“

The report does not list any injuries. However, Officer Jordan Fowler, who responded to the scene, indicated that he was responding in reference to a gunshot wound.

At this week’s City Council meeting, Mayor Harold Copenhaver addressed the incident at the beginning of his Mayor’s Report.

“First of all, I want to reach out to our officer that’s in the hospital that was involved in an accidental shooting yesterday,” Copenahaver said Tuesday evening. “Trust me, he was fighting for his life, but I can’t say enough for the personnel at St. Bernard’s Hospital that worked on him for tireless hours yesterday, then again today. He is resting. He’s going to have a long recovery, but he’s alive. It’s nothing more than God’s hands getting involved in order to save that individual’s life.”

The mayor added that he appreciated the work of the police department and their support for Rodgers throughout this incident.

“I was very fortunate to meet with his mother and dad,” Copenhaver said. “They’re four hours away, and so it was peaceful for them to know that he had such a loving community around [their son].”

Arkansas State Police have not yet released any information on the investigation into the shooting. JRN will provide updates as they become available.

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