A Polk County prosecutor has ruled that a Grannis police officer was justified in the July shooting death of a Wickes man, concluding the officer acted in self-defense after the suspect fired first.
Eighteenth West Judicial District Prosecutor Debra Buschman announced that her review found the use of lethal force lawful in the death of 65-year-old Darrin Laudermilk of Wickes.
The incident occurred on July 19, 2025, after the Polk County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to investigate an officer-involved shooting at a home on County Road 14.
According to the case findings, the Grannis Police Department officer was responding to a request for assistance during an eviction at the residence. As the officer arrived and pulled into the driveway, Laudermilk came out holding a pistol and fired a shot, investigators said. The officer returned fire, striking Laudermilk. The Polk County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene.
State police investigators later submitted their findings to Buschman’s office for review. In her decision letter, Buschman said the physical and testimonial evidence supported the officer’s account of the shooting.
“The investigation established that the officer was lawfully present on the property when Mr. Laudermilk confronted him with a firearm and fired first,” Buschman wrote. “Physical evidence confirmed a spent casing from Mr. Laudermilk’s weapon, and witness accounts, dispatch records, and nearby surveillance audio corroborate the officer’s account. The use of deadly force was therefore justified in self-defense and in the performance of official duties.”
The Arkansas State Police CID investigation is now closed, and no charges will be filed against the officer.
