PINEY, AR – A Hot Springs man was fatally shot by a Garland County Sheriff’s Deputy following a confrontation involving a shovel, according to the Arkansas State Police.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on October 7 in the 100 block of Ebony Way in western Garland County. Deputies had responded to a report of a man allegedly swinging a shovel at a passing vehicle.
Upon arrival, the deputy encountered 34-year-old Anthony Michael Dean, who reportedly threatened the deputy with the shovel. The deputy discharged his weapon, fatally striking Dean.
Dean’s body will be examined at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory to determine the official cause and manner of death.
The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division is conducting the investigation and will submit findings to the Garland County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether the use of deadly force was legally justified.
