Camden mourning loss of Arkansas’ oldest police officer L.C. ‘Buckshot’ Smith, remembering him as the officer who ‘took more people home than to jail’

CAMDEN, Ark. – A Camden man known as the oldest police officer to serve in Arkansas is being remembered after officials with the Camden Police Department announced his death Thursday.

Officer L.C. Smith, also known as ‘Buckshot,’ was 95 at the time of his death. He’d just retired from the police department two years ago as the oldest police officer in Arkansas at the age of 93.

James Woods, owner of Woods Place in Camden, said Buckshot spent every Thursday inside his restaurant with a plate of ribs.

“He was kind of like a little celebrity,” Woods said.

But his lengthy career in law enforcement, which spanned more than six decades, captured the attention and hearts of people across the world.

“We had a lot of people come in doing interviews,” Don Banks, owner of Banks World Famous Pawn Shop, said. “Lester Holt sent a crew here even.”

When asked what Buckshot made of the worldwide attention, Banks said, “Oh, who wouldn’t like it? He ate it up! He ate it up.”

Banks has lived in Camden since he was 11 years old and knew Buckshot well.

Robert Garner, who was also in the pawn shop Friday, said he hired Buckshot at the beginning of his career in law enforcement more than six decades ago, back when Garner was the sheriff.

According to Garner, Buckshot’s mind stayed sharp until the very end. It’s what gave him a long life and a long career protecting his beloved community.

“His servitude to the community… is lasting,” Garner said. “It’s his legacy.”

Buckshot is known as the police officer who took more people home than he took to jail. Those were his famous words that rang true throughout his career.

The men KARK 4 News spoke to on Friday all said his life and legacy points to not only a smiling face and happy personality, but a caring heart and helping hands.

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