WICKES, AR – The Eighteenth West Judicial District Prosecutor’s Office determined that a Grannis Police Department officer was justified in the fatal shooting of 65-year-old Darrin Laudermilk during an eviction call on County Road 14.
According to the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division, the incident occurred on July 19, 2025, after the officer responded to assist with an eviction at the residence. As the officer approached in his patrol vehicle, Laudermilk reportedly came outside holding a pistol and fired at the officer, who returned fire, striking him. Laudermilk was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Polk County Coroner.
State police investigators submitted their findings to Prosecutor Debra Buschman, who concluded that the officer’s use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law.
Buschman wrote in her letter to the Arkansas State Police that “the investigation established that the officer was lawfully present on the property when Mr. Laudermilk confronted him with a firearm and fired first,” noting that physical evidence, witness accounts, and dispatch records corroborated the officer’s account.
