Benton Schools were temporarily on precautionary lockdown Thursday morning as officers from the Benton Police Department pursued a suspect who allegedly stabbed someone at a location near the schools.

READ MORE BELOW

At approximately 9:00 a.m. this morning, officers responded to a reported stabbing in the area of Cox Street.

When officers arrived, they located a victim suffering from apparent stab wounds. The victim is receiving medical treatment.

The subject has been identified as Nathaniel Vasquez, age 26, a white male. They say he fled the area on foot before officers arrived, and was possibly wearing a maroon shirt and black pants.

Officers searched the area to locate Vasquez as quickly and safely as possible. Vasquez was located around 9:30 a.m. and taken into custody without further incident.

As a precaution, nearby schools were secured out of an abundance of caution while officers worked to locate the subject. There was no threat inside any school facility at the time.

The Police Department issued a statement saying, “We understand incidents like this cause concern for our community. This is still an active and ongoing investigation. If you have any information, please contact 501.778.1171. Reference incident# 2026-01543.”