Man fatally shot after stabbing police officer in throat, beating son to death with a rock

An Arkansas man was fatally shot Sunday by a police officer who he stabbed in the neck and throat, Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker told reporters. The same suspect also beat his teenage son to death with a rock and stabbed a woman to death in what Baker called an "unimaginable tragedy."

The 15-year-old unidentified boy, 42-year-old Julia Marie Moore, and the suspect, Christofer Conner, 40, are all dead. Baker said the woman died in an "extremely violent attack" at a separate location, while the boy was pronounced dead at the hospital from blunt force trauma and stab wounds.

The unidentified police officer, who is in recovery after surgery from serious lacerations, initially arrived at the scene in a residential area near the Oklahoma state line due to a 6:20 a.m. 911 call reporting yelling and screaming, according to Baker.

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Conner was hitting his teen son in the head and face with a rock upon the officer's arrival before being ordered to stop. Conner initially obliged but when he was being put in handcuffs he used an "edged weapon" to stab the officer several times in the throat and neck. That prompted the officer to fire two fatal shots – killing Conner at the scene.

At the home where Moore died, a separate location, her body was found with multiple stab wounds. A 5-year-old child was found at the location unharmed and put with family members. Conner's relationship to Moore was unclear.

Baker said the police officer who fired the fatal shots will be placed on paid administrative leave while an Arkansas State Police Department investigation ensues because it involved an officer shooting. The officer has been with the force for 16 months.

Contributing: The Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arkansas man shot after stabbing police officer, beating son with rock