HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — Police in several Mid-South jurisdictions were put on alert after confirming a gang has ordered a hit on law enforcement.
The Police Chief from Helena-West Helena said a gang called the Urban Vice Lords threatened several agencies between his town and Clarksdale, Mississippi.
The Helena-West Helena Police Chief said it’s believed this stemmed from the Officer involved shooting in the city earlier this week.
He told WREG his department has taken extra steps to make sure people who live there are safe as well as his Officers.
“Everybody is definitely on a heightened level of alert because of what’s going on nationwide,” said Chief Virgil Green.
Tuesday, Police were called out to Holly and McDonough Street after reports of gunfire exchanged between two vehicles.
Investigators said Myron Pollard got out of one of the vehicles armed with an assault rifle.
“The officers gave the commands for him to drop the weapon. He refused and pointed the weapon at the officer and that’s when one of the officers shot that suspect,” Green stated.
Green said Pollard was still in the hospital, but he would be facing charges.
He also said the Arkansas State Police notified his department Pollard, who is from Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a Vice Lord.
“We’re making sure that Officers have on their bulletproof vests. We’re making sure that in certain areas, we put Officers in cars, not just a one man unit but a two man unit,” he explained.
Donald Webb told WREG he has been thinking about moving out of the city.
He was afraid members of the gang would retaliate.
Webb told WREG he’s afraid for the kids.
“Kids out in the street playing, stuff like that, drive by, hit one of the kids,” he stated.
“We haven’t had any type of incidents that have occurred since that information has been put out, but we are definitely taking the information to be very serious and credible,” he said
Green also said his department has beefed up patrols in high crime areas and getting assistance from Arkansas State Police.