Hampton was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Rodney Richardson after, according to a police affidavit also filed this week, a gun-trade went wrong February 15th at an address on Hope’s East Beech Street. 

Police became involved in the case after receiving a report of an accident at 204 Clinton Bypass that afternoon that had occurred during an attempt to get Richardson, who had been shot in the neck, to the hospital.  One officer responding used an automated external defibrillator on Richardson until an ambulance arrived, taking Richardson to Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center.

Richardson died of his wound at 1:29 p.m, the affidavit said.  By 3:12 p.m. a Hope detective interrogated Hampton, who had turned himself in after hearing Richardson had died.  During the interview Hampton said he and Richardson had traded guns a few days before.  When Richardson asked to trade his gun back for the gun he previously owned, the two met February 15th to again exchange the guns in their possession.

Hampton said, according to the affidavit, that when Richardson went into the house, Richardson said, to get bullets, he came back out, walked up to the passenger side of the car, whose door was open, and pointed the FN 10 mm pistol at Hampton’s face while Hampton sat in the passenger seat with a Glock in his lap.  Hampton reported trying to drive forward but finding the car was in park, simply surged the engine. He then said he fired one shot in Richardson’s direction but did not know he hit Richardson.  

An ear witness to the shooting was also interviewed, saying he did not see the shooting of Richardson but heard a shot and saw Richardson come back to the house and ask to be driven to the hospital.  

The charge of Theft of Property stems from the allegation that Hampton took the FN 10mm pistol when he left the scene of the shooting.  The two charges of Tampering with Physical Evidence come from the allegation Hampton “did unlawfully and feloniously alter, destroy, suppress, remove or conceal any thing—namely a 10 mm FN 510 Tactical handgun [serial number specified] with the purpose of impairing its verity, legibility or availability in any official proceeding,” a court document said.

No trial date has yet been set.  Hampton has been appointed a public defender.