April 28th, 1995
Spice has been in law enforcement since July of 1994. During his career he has worked as a patrol officer, investigator, and in administration. He currently works as a public safety officer for a college.
On April 28th, 1995 after graduating the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy only six weeks earlier, Spice (while off duty) responded to call of a bank robbery in progress. He was working as a patrol officer and the department had previously received a tip that when this particular bank was robbed the suspects would have a getaway vehicle parked at a church on Shaver Road. There are two different churches on this road, one of which is located just a short distance south of the cache location.
Spice had traveled to the church to see if any vehicles were parked at the church. After seeing there were no vehicles, he parked to see what happened and wait on more information from officers who had arrived at the bank.
A few moments later a vehicle drove by the church at a high rate of speed and without a license plate. Spice then stopped the small black truck. That location is where this cache is located.
This is a long story, but to be as brief as possible here is an abbreviated version of what happened next.
Spice saw the driver appeared nervous and asked for permission to search their vehicle and for his safety asked if the driver would wait in the back seat of his patrol vehicle while he conducted the search. The driver agreed.
A few moments later Spice opened the glove box of the truck and found a large amount of cash. As Spice walked back toward his patrol car, he found the driver, now suspect, had somehow obtained Spice's duty shotgun from the front seat area of the patrol car. Spice then ran away from the car as the suspect fired the first shot through the windshield of the car. Spice went to the front of the suspect's truck and saw the suspect exit the patrol car. The suspect then went to the ground and Spice feared the suspect was going to shoot under the truck, which quickly became true. Spice attempted to jump on the front bumper of the truck, but it was too late. The suspect then was able to shoot Spice in both feet with the shotgun. Spice then knew he had to so something and began to go around the truck to confront the suspect and fired his duty weapon. He then began to run (he uses the word loosely) north to put distance between him and the suspect. Spice then laid down in a ditch on the west side of the road and continued to fire at the suspect fearing he was going to get in his truck and run over him. The suspect soon entered his truck and turned around a fled to the south.
Officers soon arrived to assist Spice and pursued the suspect who was soon captured.
Spice collapsed after making his way back to his car and the Sheriff he worked for came to his aid.
The rest of the story...
The suspect later pled guilty to attempted capital murder and was sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections for 30 years. He only received a year and a half for the bank robbery after there was no proof a firearm was used at the bank.
The suspect was released from prison on parole after serving 9 years. Spice later through a series of events spoke with the suspect, forgave him for what happened and hoped he would have a good life out of prison.
Unfortunately, later the suspect got into trouble in another state and was sent back to Arkansas to serve more time in prison. Spice visited the suspect one more time while he was in jail before being taken to prison. The next time Spice heard anything about the suspect he had learned the suspect had been in a halfway house in Little Rock and his body was found in the Arkansas River. The death was ruled an accidental drowning.
There are many more interesting twists and turns in this very long story. Spice will talk about it so don't be afraid to ask.
This cache is located at the location where the shootout took place. There can be some briars in the area of the cache depending on the time of year, and during wet weather the cache location could have some water on the ground.