FORT SMITH - From the radio transmission between a wounded Fort Smith police officer and the dispatcher he called for help reveal his state of mind at the time.
Officer Parsons was surprisingly calm and impressively professional, although you could clearly hear the urgency in his voice. These were his first words: "Station, shots fired...I need help...I've been shot...I'm on Cliff Drive...I've been hit." Within seconds you hear the concerned voice of his supervisor Sgt. Dewey Young asking the station where he's at. A short time later, Parsons radios again: "I've been hit pretty good...I need an ambulance out here."
The suspect, 25-year-old Tristan Honey fled to New Mexico and later turned himself in to officials at this port of entry in San Jon. Parsons was shot four times; once in the center of his chest, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Chief Kevin Lindsey says the shot could have been fatal. Lindsey has visited parsons in the hospital and says he's doing well and will likely be released tomorrow.
"From time to time it'll come up and he'll get a little emotional, and who wouldn't under those circumstances," Chief Lindsey told 5NEWS. "I didn't talk to him about it. We have a policy in place that requires officer involved dispatchers and other personnel to go through a critical incident stress debriefing session."
Officer Parsons had attempted to pull over a white Chevy Avalanche for running a stop sign. Parsons had turned his blue lights, but when the vehicle sped up, he turned them off not wanting to initiate a pursuit on the winding road. He had also gotten a call for help across town and decided to let the vehicle go. But when he topped a hill, the vehicle had stopped. That's when the suspect, 25-year-old Tristan James Honey allegedly jumped out of his vehicle and began to approach the car. Parsons also got out and honey allegedly began shooting. The officer returned fire.
Honey will likely be brought back this week. Police say Honey has a concealed carry permit, and they have recovered a 9 millimeter handgun believed to be have used in the shooting.
A woman identifying herself as Honey's mother at the police department says this is out of character for her son. She said he's a good guy, and she doesn't understand what happened.
Officer Parsons was surprisingly calm and impressively professional, although you could clearly hear the urgency in his voice. These were his first words: "Station, shots fired...I need help...I've been shot...I'm on Cliff Drive...I've been hit." Within seconds you hear the concerned voice of his supervisor Sgt. Dewey Young asking the station where he's at. A short time later, Parsons radios again: "I've been hit pretty good...I need an ambulance out here."
The suspect, 25-year-old Tristan Honey fled to New Mexico and later turned himself in to officials at this port of entry in San Jon. Parsons was shot four times; once in the center of his chest, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Chief Kevin Lindsey says the shot could have been fatal. Lindsey has visited parsons in the hospital and says he's doing well and will likely be released tomorrow.
"From time to time it'll come up and he'll get a little emotional, and who wouldn't under those circumstances," Chief Lindsey told 5NEWS. "I didn't talk to him about it. We have a policy in place that requires officer involved dispatchers and other personnel to go through a critical incident stress debriefing session."
Officer Parsons had attempted to pull over a white Chevy Avalanche for running a stop sign. Parsons had turned his blue lights, but when the vehicle sped up, he turned them off not wanting to initiate a pursuit on the winding road. He had also gotten a call for help across town and decided to let the vehicle go. But when he topped a hill, the vehicle had stopped. That's when the suspect, 25-year-old Tristan James Honey allegedly jumped out of his vehicle and began to approach the car. Parsons also got out and honey allegedly began shooting. The officer returned fire.
Honey will likely be brought back this week. Police say Honey has a concealed carry permit, and they have recovered a 9 millimeter handgun believed to be have used in the shooting.
A woman identifying herself as Honey's mother at the police department says this is out of character for her son. She said he's a good guy, and she doesn't understand what happened.
