May 24, 2025
ROCKPORT, Ark. — The Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division(CID) is investigating an incident that occurred on Friday, May 23, 2025, at about 6:20 p.m. involving Rockport Police and Malvern Police officers and Hot Spring County Sheriff’s deputies that ended when the suspect shot himself.
The investigation was initiated at the request of the Rockport Police Department (RPD).
RPD officers stopped Christopher Buckley, 43, at the intersection of Babcock and Nix roads for a traffic violation and discovered that he had outstanding warrants out of Malvern and Hot Spring County. Buckley fled, prompting a pursuit and failed tactical vehicle interventions before Buckley lost control and wrecked his vehicle near the intersection of Watts and McAlister streets. Buckley fled on foot and, when confronted by a Malvern Police officer near the intersection of Sand and Mt. Willow roads, he shot himself with a pistol he was carrying.
Buckley was transported to a hospital in Malvern and then transferred to UAMS in Little Rock, where he died at about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
The investigation is ongoing.