Police: ‘Relentless search’ for Wise’s killer
By Jeremy Peppas / Staff Writer / jpeppas@nlrtimes.com
Friday, December 25, 2009 2:59 PM CST
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| Salvation Army Maj. Harvey Johnson, right, speaks at a somber press conference in Little Rock on Christmas morning. The press conference was on the shooting death of Maj. Phillip Wise in North Little Rock on Christmas Eve. (Photo by Jeremy Peppas) |
LITTLE ROCK — Salvation Army Maj. Phillip Wise had Christmas plans. All he had to do was drop off the Christmas Eve donations at the Salvation Army headquarters in North Little Rock, pick up his wife, Cindy, who also is a Salvation Army major and was in the building waiting on him, and head home, to West Virginia, for the holidays.
His three young children — 4, 6 and 8 — were with him.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Wise was robbed at gunpoint and as his children watched. He was then shot and bled to death in the parking lot at 1505 W. 15th St., in the Baring Cross neighborhood of North Little Rock.
Wise was 40.
He had been with the Salvation Army for more than 15 years, said Salvation Army Maj. Harvey Johnson at a somber press conference in Little Rock on Christmas morning.
“We often serve in places that aren’t often safe,” Johnson said. “We do our best to do things to protect ourselves, but we go to places to bring light to dark places. To offer hope to those who might be hopeless.”
North Little Rock Chief of Police Danny Bradley, public information officer Sgt. Terry Kuykendall and Capt. Donnie Bridges, who is commander of the investigations division for the department, joined Johnson at the press conference.
“Our entire community is saddened by this horrible crime,” Bradley said. “Particularly because it is a gentleman who has given so much to the community.”
Wise, who lived in Maumelle, was supervisor of the North Little Rock, Maumelle and Sherwood operations the past three years. He was also active in the Rotary Club, a member of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and was a familiar face in Central Arkansas.
Bradley wouldn’t go into specifics of what happened as he said it was ongoing investigation, but he did pledge that investigators would be engaged in a “relentless effort” as they searched for the killers.
According to police, two black men, both armed and wearing all black, approached Wise. Police didn’t give a description of either man other to say that they were in their late teens or early 20s. The incident happened around 4:15 p.m. and a Pulaski County coroner pronounced Wise dead at the scene later that afternoon.
Bradley said the motive was “attempted robbery” and declined to say how much, if any, money was stolen. He added that a $1,000 award is being offered for any information “on who committed this horrible crime.” The department can be reached at 758-1234.
Bradley also said he didn’t believe that the homicide was connected to a robbery of a Salvation Army donation kettle at Sherwood Wal-Mart last week.
In that incident, a black man wearing a black jacket stole the kettle and fled the scene in an older white BMW. Police have obtained photos of that incident.
After that incident, Johnson told reporters that the robberies of Salvation Army kettles were rare.
“In my 30 years, I have seen it twice,” Johnson said.
The Salvation Army is a Christian, evangelical group; Wise also served as the pastor of the Salvation Army church in the group’s building in North Little Rock.
Johnson said services will go on Sunday.
“Life goes on,” he said. “That’s the way Phillip would want it.”
Kathy wrote on Jan 3, 2010 12:41 PM:
He who wept at Lazarus' tomb knows your pain and weeps with you. Praying for repentance and changed lives...when a grain of wheat dies and falls to the ground....
May your light shine in this deep, dark time. Praying for provision and direction.
Love to you,
kd (another pw) "