Bentonville Officer Cleared in Fatal Shooting Incident
On September 9, 2024, Bentonville Police Officer Omri-Andrew Nutt was cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting death of 37-year-old Nathaniel Crabtree. The incident occurred on July 11, 2024, when Officer Nutt responded to a 911 call reporting an assault on Southwest Castlewood Street.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Nutt found Crabtree violently attacking two separate women. When Crabtree failed to comply with Nutt’s commands to get on the ground and appeared to be armed, the officer deployed his taser. Since the taser had no effect, Nutt shot Crabtree, who was then transported to the hospital where he died.
The investigation, conducted by the Arkansas State Police, revealed that Officer Nutt had reasonable justification to use deadly force under Arkansas law, given the totality of the circumstances.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Josh Robinson ultimately decided not to press charges against Officer Nutt, citing that his use of force was justified and he had not committed a crime. Following the incident, Officer Nutt was initially placed on paid administrative leave per department protocol but has since been reinstated.
The full details of the incident, including any supporting evidence such as videos and records, are still being processed by the police department.
