LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas Stop the Violence held a news conference Sunday evening for the family of Bruce Tate, a Sherwood man who was found dead in North Little Rock early last week after suffering several injuries.
No suspect has yet been identified in this case.
The late Bruce Tate’s family members gathered at Shiloh Baptist Church in North Little Rock to send a message to whoever is responsible for his death and anyone who knows what happened.
“Imagine, if this is your family, you want it to be resolved too, and that’s all we’re asking for. You know, we’re asking for justice for our father,” said Son, Courtney Tate.
78-year-old Bruce Tate was a man known for his kind spirit and love for his community.
“My dad was loving. He kept us laughing. I was a daddy’s girl, so this affected me in a way that you know the person who took him from us will never understand,” said daughter Reshonda Tate.
“There are so many different things I wish I could have said to him when (he) was alive that I can’t say now. My dad was very loved,” said Courtney.
Bruce Tate was a man whose life was lost to violence and left behind a devastated family.
‘You’re desperately trying to understand something. It’s the why that we don’t understand. Why? Who? There are so many unanswered questions. Because if you had asked for his wallet, he would have given it to you. If you had, If he had asked for his truck, he would have given it. There was no need to kill him cruelly. And that is why we are here today, in the midst of our grief, to appeal to the Arkansas community that is our home. ,” Reshonda said.
Although North Little Rock police have opened an investigation, Arkansas Stop the Violence helped Bruce’s wife and family speak to the public as they begged for help finding who is responsible.
“The snitch culture damages and destroys families because today it’s our family, our family indiscriminately. So tomorrow it could be your family. It could be the family of someone you love. So we’re begging for people to come forward because I doubt this will be the last time they take someone’s loved one from them,” Reshonda said.
The family says there will always be a piece of them missing, but what they want now is closure.
“The man they took from us is a father, grandfather, a great man, and this is a void we will have for a long time,” Reshonda said.
“This wasn’t even an accident, at least an accident, you know, we can wrap our heads around it, this wasn’t an accident. This was a bloody, premeditated murder. And not just murder, this was exaggerated. This was more than an exaggeration. was someone who doesn’t deserve it, whoever did this doesn’t deserve to breathe another breath of fresh air,” said Courtney.
Bruce Tate’s memorial service will take place next weekend.
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the NLRPD tip line at 501-680-8439.