By Ray King
A Pine Bluff man accused of shooting another man to death Monday made his first court appearance Wednesday and will be held on a $250,000 bond pending the filing of formal charges.
District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge Kevin Kimble, 41, with first-degree murder in the death of Cedric Sloan, 39, who was pronounced dead at Jefferson Regional Hospital of apparent gunshot wounds.
Reading from an affidavit from Detective Keith Banks, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Carson said an officer was sent to a reported armed disturbance in the 4300 block of Union Avenue and when the officer arrived, was told by Kimble that a person later identified as Sloan had pulled a gun on one of Kimble’s sons at an address on Rosswood Road. That son refused to speak to police.
Kimble said another son was at the residence and later told the officer he was no longer needed.
Banks reported that the officer went to the 7400 block of Rosswood Road and when he arrived found Kimble and a group of other people there. A semi-automatic rifle and semi-automatic pistol were found in the yard at the house and the officer reported that he was told someone had been shot in the house.
Kimble was interviewed at the scene and said one of his sons was living with Sloan and Sloan accused the son of stealing a gun. He said he went to the house where he and Sloan argued, and Sloan fired two shots at him, and he fired five shots at Sloan. Kimble and others then left the scene in a vehicle and a BOLO (be on the lookout) was broadcast.
Carson said Kimble was taken into custody and was read his rights and signed the form acknowledging that he understood them. When questioned, he said Sloan had accused his son of stealing a gun and pointed a semi-automatic rifle at him. Kimble said he called police to try and explain what happened, but the son didn’t want to talk to the officer.
Kimble said he went to the house and when he knocked on the door Sloan came to the door holding an AR-15. He said Sloan told him that the son wasn’t going anywhere until the gun reappeared. Kimble said he started to walk away, and Sloan fired two shots from the rifle and said he saw the dirt fly up from where the bullets hit. He said he saw a handgun in Sloan’s pants and the two fought over the gun which went off. He said he took the rifle and pistol to the edge of the property and put them down.
The death of Sloan was the 14th homicide in Pine Bluff so far this year.
