Little Rock police officer charged with felony for shooting and wounding suspect

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A Little Rock police officer was arrested Wednesday and charged with a felony in the shooting and wounding of a suspect who was fleeing after a traffic stop over the weekend.

Prosecutors charged Officer Johvoni McClendon with one felony count of first-degree battery and one misdemeanor count of first-degree assault in connection with the early Saturday morning shooting.

McClendon was relieved of duty after police said he shot Brenden Johnson, who drove away in a pickup truck officers had pulled over after locating nearby a stolen vehicle they had been pursuing earlier. Johnson had been hospitalized following the shooting.

Chief Heath Helton said the decision to relieve McClendon came after he reviewed body and vehicle camera footage from the shooting.

“There is no doubt the actions of Officer McClendon are outside the department’s policy related to the use of deadly force,” Helton said at a news conference announcing the charges. ‘“Due to the severity of the violations observed, I believe that it was imperative that immediate action be taken to protect the public, our internal policies and the law.”

McClendon pleaded not guilty at a hearing on Wednesday afternoon and was released on a $25,000 bond. Robert Newcomb, his attorney, declined to comment on the charges.