Pine Bluff, Arkansas – In a town hall meeting held Tuesday evening, Pine Bluff Police Chief Shirley Warrior addressed the community and local leaders with an update on the city’s recent crime statistics. The meeting, which took place just days after two homicides rocked the community, emphasized transparency, public engagement, and collaboration in addressing crime and violence in Pine Bluff.
“We don’t want to wait a month and then have people wondering why we waited so long,” Chief Warrior stated. “For our department to be transparent, we must release information as soon as it’s available.”
Warrior acknowledged the impact of the recent killing of 14-year-old Floyd Allen, which marked the city’s first juvenile homicide in over a year and a half. Allen was shot and killed on July 19, and 18-year-old Dicoreon Ford has been arrested in connection with the crime. Just a day earlier, 36-year-old Markee Avery was killed, leading to the arrest of 37-year-old Michael King. Police are still actively searching for 39-year-old LaMarcus Benton, King’s brother, believed to be involved in Avery’s death.
With these back-to-back homicides, Pine Bluff’s total for 2025 now stands at eight, six of which have been cleared by the police department.
Additional Homicide Cases Under Investigation
The homicide count saw a sharp rise earlier this month following the death of 34-year-old Antonio Gardner, who was shot on June 14 and later died from his injuries on July 10. Authorities have identified 29-year-old Keyontae Johnson as the suspect in that case.
In another case that has drawn attention, 24-year-old LaCrystal Matthews has been charged with homicide following the June 14 death of her infant, who was found unresponsive in a motel bathtub. The tragedy added to the month’s already growing homicide statistics, which have risen from one in July 2024 to two in July 2025.
Stop the Bleed Campaign and Community Enforcement
Between July 1 and July 20, police responded to 28 calls for possible shots fired, with the highest concentration—nine calls—occurring in Zone 1. That same area was the focus of the city’s first four “Operation Stop the Bleed” events earlier this month, designed to increase police visibility and engagement while cracking down on violations.
Twelve events in total are planned for the city. More than 100 citations were issued during the first four operations, including for offenses like failure to wear a seatbelt, no driver’s license, and lack of insurance.
“We’re not harassing you, we’re not trying to put anybody down,” Warrior explained. “We just want to live in a safe environment. Just obey the law of the land, that’s all we’re asking.”
Focus on Domestic Violence and Community Involvement
One of the more troubling trends Warrior highlighted was the number of domestic violence-related calls—over 50 between July 1 and 20. Most of these stemmed from disputes between romantic partners, and police made 25 arrests related to domestic violence during that timeframe.
Warrior urged community members to take an active role in improving safety: “We want to encourage everybody to get more involved. We might not be here tomorrow or the next day … but we hope our kids, our grandkids will be. We want them to come back and visit our city and be proud.”
She added, “There’s only a handful of people who are bad in our city. If we can get control of that handful, and if we all work together, we can get it done. I live in the heart of this city, and in our neighborhoods, we just want to be safe.”
City Leadership Highlights Prevention and Future Plans
Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers, who was present at the town hall, echoed Warrior’s sentiments and praised recent efforts to reduce youth violence.
“We saw a year-and-a-half with no homicides of young people; that is prevention,” the mayor said. “Lighting is prevention, cameras are prevention … all of those things, coupled with pastors in the schools, assisting parents with wraparound services, are important.”
Flowers also shared that the city plans to hire a social worker and a psychologist to support law enforcement in addressing mental health needs among offenders.
“It’s not just one thing that’s needed,” she emphasized. “Police are good at policing, but in order for us to make our community safe and for our officers to go home to their families, we have to engage in prevention. We have to do it with them.”
