KARK is reporting that a Little Rock police officer is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle about 1 a.m. today while working off-duty at an event near Daisy Bates and Ringo Sreet.

Information is sketchy. Police said the officer was hit by a speeding vehicle that drove off.

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UPDATE: It develops the officer struck was a 33-year veteran of the force, Lt. Johnny Gilbert, and he was struck along with a man he’d arrested for disorderly conduct at an event where Gilbert was providing private security.

The police release:

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On 11/05/2017 at approximately 0040 hours Little Rock Police Officers were working in an off-duty capacity at 1122 W. Daisy Bates Drive. The officers were providing outside security for an event at this location. The event was scheduled to end at 0130 hours and the doors were closed to any further entry inside the building. Several individuals attempted to enter the evert after the doors were closed and they were denied entry. These subjects became upset that they were not being allowed entry and began yelling profanities at the officers who were working.

Officers escorted these subjects back across the street from the building and asked them several times to leave the area. All subjects complied with the exception of Daryl Johnson, B/M, 04/12/1992. Johnson was arrested by officers for disorderly conduct and Lieutenant Johnny Gilbert was escorting Johnson back across the street when a vehicle traveling westbound on Daisy Bates struck both Lieutenant Gilbert and Mr. Johnson. The driver of the vehicle did not stop and fled west on Daisy Bates.

Lieutenant Gilbert was transported to a local hospital and was listed in critical condition.

Johnson was also transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and is currently in stable condition. Johnson was issued a citation to appear for disorderly conduct.

The suspect vehicle has been described as a maroon sedan or crossover type vehicle. At this time there is no suspect/driver information.

Lieutenant Gilbert is currently listed in serious but stable condition at the hospital. Lieutenant Gilbert was hired as a Little Rock Police Officer on July 9, 1984. There were no other officers injured during this incident. 

The police initial report listed the incident as occurring at 1102 Daisy Bates rather than 1122 Bates, which is the former Carver YMCA building and the address initially listed in a separate news release. 1102 Bates is the address of a former warehouse that has been used for a variety of social events in recent times and a police spokesman now confirms that’s where the incident occurred. That address also was listed as the place of arrest last week of Chris Alexander on several gun and drug charges. He was a co-founder of a community organization said to be aimed at diverting youth from gang activities to other pursuits.

Gilbert is a leader of the Black Police Officers Association, which has been criticial in recent days of department leadership.

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