Police ID Pine Bluff man, 40, shot by authorities; he pointed gun, died at scene, police say

Police lights are shown in this file photo.
Police lights are shown in this file photo.

Police have identified a Pine Bluff man who died after he was shot by law enforcement following a pursuit on Friday.

The chase began after a Jefferson County deputy spotted a man who was wanted on multiple, unspecified charges outside a hotel on Commerce Road, according to a news release by Arkansas State Police. The man, later identified as 40-year-old Matthew Abrams, got into a vehicle with another person, whose name was not included in the release, and fled from the deputy, authorities said.

According to police, Abrams left the vehicle after it became stuck at a railroad crossing. He reportedly pointed a gun at a deputy, who shot at the Pine Bluff man and is believed to have struck him, the release states.

Police said Abrams then fled into a wooded area and Arkansas Department of Corrections officers spotted him lying in dense brush, his gun pointed at them. The officers ordered him to drop his weapon, and shot him when he refused to do so, according to authorities.

Abrams died at the scene, police said. His body, as well as other evidence, has been taken to the state Crime Lab for analysis and to determine his cause of death.

The law enforcement agencies involved in the shootings, as well as the Jefferson County prosecuting attorney, asked Arkansas State Police to investigate the use of deadly force by authorities, police said.

The names and administrative status of the law enforcement officers involved in the shooting weren’t included in the release.

Authorities said the passenger also tried to flee when the vehicle became trapped and was taken into custody. No charges were listed in the release.

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