Former Alexander Police officer, Calvin Salyers (33), turned himself into the Arkansas State Police after fatally shooting fellow officer, Scott Hutton through the front door of his residence. According to reports obtained by CBS 17, on June 3, Hutton had driven to Salyers' residence in order to pick up a patrol car that was located nearby and had attempted to call and text him before approaching his door to knock after Salyers failed to answer. Salyers, who was watching a movie with his significant other, instantly reached for his firearm before heading to the front door. Unable to clearly identify his fellow officer, Salyers noticed Hutton's dark shirt and gun holster on his hip through the peephole. Without being able to fully identify Hutton, Salyers shot a single bullet through the door which struck Hutton directly in the chest.
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After finding out that he had shot one his local law enforcement associates, Salyers had called an ambulance identifying himself as an Alexander City Police officer and made it clear that he was involved in an officer-related shooting. During the emergency call, Salyers can be heard reportedly saying, "All I seen was a gun, it was an accidental discharge."
According to reports, Salyers had informed investigators that he was trying to switch the hand he was holding the firearm with and accidentally discharged his weapon. However, the investigators' affidavit states that the bullet hole had contact residue with the door which suggests that the now-former officer had his handgun pressed against the front door when the trigger was pulled.
Additional court documents reveal that Salyers had previously told fellow police Sgt. Matt Wharton that following the "riots in Minnesota" if any "protesters" showed up to his home, he would "shoot through the door" without warning. Wharton vehemently opposed Salyers’ stance, calling his statement "reckless and negligent."
With the recent deaths of unarmed citizens like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery, and more the nation has seen in an increase in acts of police violence and brutality amongst protestors and civilians alike. As for Calvin Salyers, the 33-year-old had been a member of the Alexander Police Department since 2017 and is now facing manslaughter charges for the shooting death of police offer Scott Hutton.
Check out KARK 4 News' official report on the matter in the video provided below.