PINE BLUFF, AR – The Pine Bluff Police Department out of Arkansas is reportedly updating their use-of-force policy in the wake of an officer-involved shooting from November 2025 which stemmed from a “policy failure,” according to the chief of police.
Critical incidents and contentious officer-involved shootings serving as catalysts for shaping policy within police departments is a fairly standard practice, which the Pine Bluff Police Department’s (PBPD) efforts to update their use-of-force guidelines pertaining to moving vehicles is unsurprising following an officer-involved shooting that occurred back on November 21st, 2025.
During the incident, officials say a traffic stop was attempted at approximately 10:30 p.m. along West 27th Avenue following reports of shots fired in the area when a passenger inside the vehicle, identified as 23-year-old Jeremy Lawrence Jr., reportedly fled from the vehicle on foot while allegedly armed.
While the fatal confrontation that ensued between officers and the armed suspect following a foot pursuit that left the suspect deceased was found to fall within the confines of the law and PBPD policy, officials were concerned regarding the actions of one officer who was driving the patrol vehicle that attempted the initial traffic stop.
Officer Corey Lowery, who has since resigned from the department, reportedly fired his service weapon a total of 13 times while simultaneously driving his cruiser during the incident, 9 times while the suspect vehicle was in motion and four additional times when it came to a stop.
Following a thorough internal investigation regarding the incident, PBPD Chief Shawn Davis announced this past March that Officer Lowery’s actions likely violated the department’s policy prohibiting “conduct that has the potential to endanger self, others, property, and it includes unsafe handling of the equipment.”
While Chief Davis conceded some of the initial shots fired by Officer Lowery could ostensibly be justified when a then-armed Lawrence Jr. suddenly exited the vehicle unexpectedly, the chief then emphasized, “the continued firing from a vehicle remained in motion increases and raises concerns under policy 185.”
On April 8th, a Public Safety Meeting was held where Chief Davis discussed a proposed updated policy which contains specific language regarding an officer’s use of their firearm while either operating a vehicle or faced with a suspect vehicle that poses a threat to officers and others.
In the proposed updated PBPD use-of-force policy, officers will now only be permitted to fire upon the driver of a moving vehicle in instances where the vehicle is being operated in a manner that presents a serious danger to officers or bystanders, with officers also having a duty to evade being struck by a moving vehicle rather than opening fire if the circumstances are reasonable. Using a firearm in an attempt to simply disable a suspect vehicle in motion is prohibited.
Furthermore, sans life-threatening scenarios, PBPD officers are also prohibited from using their firearm while simultaneously operating a vehicle, according to the proposed updated policy.
As Chief Davis described the overall matter, he concluded that the department “had a policy failure that we [are] going to correct,” giving a nod to the fact the prior use-of-force guidelines lacked specificity regarding officer-involved shootings involving moving vehicles.
Critical incidents and contentious officer-involved shootings serving as catalysts for shaping policy within police departments is a fairly standard practice, which the Pine Bluff Police Department’s (PBPD) efforts to update their use-of-force guidelines pertaining to moving vehicles is unsurprising following an officer-involved shooting that occurred back on November 21st, 2025.
During the incident, officials say a traffic stop was attempted at approximately 10:30 p.m. along West 27th Avenue following reports of shots fired in the area when a passenger inside the vehicle, identified as 23-year-old Jeremy Lawrence Jr., reportedly fled from the vehicle on foot while allegedly armed.
While the fatal confrontation that ensued between officers and the armed suspect following a foot pursuit that left the suspect deceased was found to fall within the confines of the law and PBPD policy, officials were concerned regarding the actions of one officer who was driving the patrol vehicle that attempted the initial traffic stop.
Officer Corey Lowery, who has since resigned from the department, reportedly fired his service weapon a total of 13 times while simultaneously driving his cruiser during the incident, 9 times while the suspect vehicle was in motion and four additional times when it came to a stop.
Following a thorough internal investigation regarding the incident, PBPD Chief Shawn Davis announced this past March that Officer Lowery’s actions likely violated the department’s policy prohibiting “conduct that has the potential to endanger self, others, property, and it includes unsafe handling of the equipment.”
While Chief Davis conceded some of the initial shots fired by Officer Lowery could ostensibly be justified when a then-armed Lawrence Jr. suddenly exited the vehicle unexpectedly, the chief then emphasized, “the continued firing from a vehicle remained in motion increases and raises concerns under policy 185.”
On April 8th, a Public Safety Meeting was held where Chief Davis discussed a proposed updated policy which contains specific language regarding an officer’s use of their firearm while either operating a vehicle or faced with a suspect vehicle that poses a threat to officers and others.
In the proposed updated PBPD use-of-force policy, officers will now only be permitted to fire upon the driver of a moving vehicle in instances where the vehicle is being operated in a manner that presents a serious danger to officers or bystanders, with officers also having a duty to evade being struck by a moving vehicle rather than opening fire if the circumstances are reasonable. Using a firearm in an attempt to simply disable a suspect vehicle in motion is prohibited.
Furthermore, sans life-threatening scenarios, PBPD officers are also prohibited from using their firearm while simultaneously operating a vehicle, according to the proposed updated policy.
As Chief Davis described the overall matter, he concluded that the department “had a policy failure that we [are] going to correct,” giving a nod to the fact the prior use-of-force guidelines lacked specificity regarding officer-involved shootings involving moving vehicles.
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