BENTON - An employee of a mental illness treatment center and a sheriff 's deputy are expected to make full recoveries after being stabbed by a patient, authorities said Monday.
The patient of the Birch Tree Communities center, Jerry W. Baer, 51, was shot dead by a Haskell police officer Sunday evening.
Lawmen responded to the center on U.S. 67 south of Benton just after 6 p.m. after FeliciaJohnson reported being attacked by Baer.
When Saline County sheriff's Sgt. Cecil Dobbs encountered Baer, Baer knifed him in the forehead and then headed toward Haskell officer Kyle Vaughn, according to a police report.
That's when Vaughn fired three shots at Baer, killing him, the report says.
The Arkansas State Police is investigating, upon the request of the sheriff's office.
Johnson and Dobbs were treated for their wounds and released from medical care Sundayevening.
"He got a pretty good cut on his forehead," sheriff's Capt. Scottie Courtney said about Dobbs. Dobbs had lost his footing when backing away from Baer before he was cut, the report says.
The treatment center typically houses around 50 patients, with some receiving around-theclock supervision.
"This was just a tragic incident that happened," said Herman Harley, chief executive officer of Birch Tree, who declined to discuss Baer's previous behavior.
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 11/18/2008