An El Dorado man who faces multiple felony charges for allegedly ramming his vehicle into the El Dorado Police Department building and a security gate on the premises reportedly admitted to officers that he had intended to harm employees inside and "commit suicide by law enforcement."
Shairocco Carter, 33, of El Dorado, was arrested Sunday for aggravated assault, terroristic act, commercial burglary and first-degree criminal mischief.
An officer who was walking into an entrance on the northwest side of EPD headquarters just before 9:30 p.m. said he noticed that the gate that separates the front parking lot from the rear parking lot, which is restricted to the public, was open.
The officer said he also noticed a car in the front parking lot.
He said the side door, which is a security door that is accessible only by EPD employees, was jammed and he could not open it.
The officer said he forcibly opened the door and saw that the interior wall was damaged.
After calling for assistance to investigate the vehicle in the front parking lot and taking a further look at the scene, the officer said he determined that the vehicle had run through the gate and into the side of the building.
He noted tire marks in the grass leading up to the door, that a smoking receptacle was overturned and damage to the rear bumper of the vehicle in the front parking lot.
He was joined by another officer and the pair approached the vehicle with service weapons drawn and ordered the driver, later identified as Carter, to shift the vehicle into park, place both hands outside the window and exit the vehicle.
They said Carter held his hands outside the driver's side window but ignored the other commands.
A third officer who had arrived on the scene reportedly grabbed Carter's arms and placed him into custody, while another officer jumped through the passenger's side window and shifted the vehicle's gear into park.
During a search incident to arrest, police said they found a steak knife tucked inside one of Carter's belt loops.
When asked what he was doing, Carter told officers that he was suicidal and made statements indicating that he had planned to enter the building and use the knife to harm employees inside.
An officer, one of the pair that initially approached Carter's vehicle, and 911 emergency dispatchers were reportedly inside the building at the time.
Carter was transported to Medical Center of South Arkansas to undergo a mental health evaluation and for possible admittance into a mental health facility.
He was issued a citation for a first appearance hearing Wednesday in 35th Judicial District Court.
Police said the gate was severely bent and the side door of the building was inoperable.