Detective Stephen Arnold
Officer: Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, Detective Stephen Arnold
Date: 5/23/2021 Location: New Orleans, LA FACTORS (1,2,3,7,15,17)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Jarvis Hardy
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Hardy had been observed by the DEA dealing crack cocaine for the past year./Yes, Hardy’s house was the site of a search warrant as part of the DEA’s ongoing investigation of him.
Mental Illness: Unknown.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, Hardy had a history of dealing crack cocaine./Yes, approximately 1.5 ounces of crack cocaine were found in the house during the search.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/26
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 6 a.m. the morning of January 26, 2016, officers with a DEA task force conducted a knock and announce search warrant at the home of suspected drug dealer, Jarvis Hardy.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Despite acknowledging to his mother that the men knocking on his door were the police, Hardy fired at them from inside his bedroom with his .40 caliber Glock pistol, fatally striking Detective Arnold.
Reactions by the police: Officers returned fire into the bedroom occupied by Hardy and his mother. Detective Arnold was removed to the hospital and Hardy surrendered shortly after the shooting.
How murdered? Deputy Arnold was ambushed, shot through a door while conducting a search warrant.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Without knowing if the task force had shields, this type of ambush by being shot through closed doors are a known danger of search warrants and why it takes an incredibly brave person to conduct them.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? N/A, Detective Arnold never saw his killer before being murdered.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Hardy surrendered to the task force members and was given a 35-year sentence for attempted murder of a police officer along with other gun and drug related crimes.
Miscellaneous: Detective Arnold was in a coma for nearly 5 ½ years, unable to speak or walk and he was reliant on tubes to eat and breathe.
