The Hawk Eye
Diavontae Davis, accused of first-degree murder in the Sept. 8, 2019, shooting death of Reynaldo Rey Villarreal, took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, telling jurors he carried a gun with him because of his fear of what Burlington had become. I saw the fluctuation of violence, Davis said from the witness stand in the third-floor courtroom of the Des Moines County Courthouse.
Davis had been a friend of DeMarcus Chew, who was killed Sept. 10, 2017, by a group of men who had intended to collect hit money in exchange for the murder. The father of Davis s sister s child also had been killed in an argument not long prior. Davis did not identify who that was or where his death occurred.
Diavontae Davis first-degree murder trial: Opening statements made thehawkeye.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehawkeye.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A local woman is among 30 new Arkansas State Police troopers. Twenty-seven-year-old Alexandria Duncan, a graduate of Viola High School, has been assigned to Troop L in Benton County.
The 30 Arkansas State Police recruits received their troop commissions recently following the conclusion of a 14-week training academy session. The recruits were hired from a field of 172 applicants, and received 860 hours of specialized training and classroom instruction.
The troopers will spend an additional five weeks of instruction working alongside a field training officer before being released to work alone.
None of the 30 new troopers were assigned to Troop I, headquartered in Harrison, which covers most of north central Arkansas.