Sheriff: Deadly altercation due to herbicide

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - Mississippi County Sheriff Dale Cook confirmed to Region 8 News that Thursday's deadly shooting near Leachville was due to an argument over the spraying of Dicamba, a herbicide used in some genetically modified crops.

"The preliminary information it was about this Dicamba drift, some verbal altercation that lead up to this," said Cook. "I don't know all the details of what was said yet from one to the other and it carried on to this County Road 38 after which the shooting occurred."

The shooting took place on West County Road 38 North of Leachville.

Sheriff Cook said Mike Wallace was shot to death following the argument with Allan Curtis Jones.

Cook states deputies found Wallace dead, lying on the south edge of the road.

According to a news release, 26-year-old Jones told deputies that he and his cousin met up with Wallace to "talk about a dispute between them."

Jones said Wallace confronted him and grabbed him by the arm.

Jones, as stated in the news release, said he pulled away from him, pulled a gun, and "shot Wallace until the gun was empty."

The cousin, who is not named in the release, witnessed the incident and said he did see Wallace grab Jones from behind a truck. Right after that, the witness said he heard gunshots.

Jones's relative said he did not see a gun until he was behind the truck. He saw the gun Jones was holding had the slide locked back.

The same man took a shirt and applied pressure to one of Wallace's wounds while also telling Jones to call 911.

Cook states that Wallace was not armed.

Jones is facing a first-degree murder charge.

Bond was $150,000. Jones has bonded out of jail.

In his first court appearance Tuesday, Jones was bound over to circuit court by a district judge, according to the sheriff's office.

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