HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — On Monday, December 15, 2025, a Phillips County jury found Latarius Quayshun Howard, 34, guilty of Capital Murder in the 2020 shooting death of Helena-West Helena Police Officer Travis Wallace, 41. The jury sentenced Howard to life imprisonment in the Arkansas Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole, plus 15 years for a firearm enhancement.
Special Agents of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended Howard in Mississippi in November 2020 in connection with Officer Wallace’s murder. Howard surrendered without resistance in Shaw, Mississippi.
On November 12, 2020, Officer Wallace was struck by gunfire during an exchange of shots with Howard outside the Delta Inn, located at 1207 U.S. Highway 49 in Helena-West Helena. Officer Wallace and other local officers had been searching for Howard, who was wanted on charges stemming from a separate shooting incident in Helena-West Helena approximately a week earlier.
Officer Wallace observed Howard riding in a sport utility vehicle attempting to exit the motel parking lot onto U.S. Highway 49. Using his patrol vehicle, Officer Wallace blocked the SUV’s exit. Howard then exited the vehicle and advanced on Officer Wallace while firing a handgun. Officer Wallace returned fire. Howard and the driver then fled the scene after Officer Wallace was wounded.
Officer Wallace was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
On the Officer Down Memorial Page, a comment was posted by the officer’s sister, Terica Wallace, on Dec. 15:
Today we finally got justice! The coward the murdered got life with no parole plus 15 years and he waived all appeals. You would be so proud of TJ! He did a phenomenal job with his victim’s impact statement. We all miss you deeply..now you can rest.
A prior comment from 2023 was left by the officer’s son, Travis Jr. (TJ).
im gonna miss you dad. it been almost 2 and the half years. i wish you was here and i never stop thinking about you, I always dreaming about wishing you was here
love you dad
– Travis Jr (Tj)
son
September 25th, 2023
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