Officer Hudson was shot and killed when he surprised a man at approximately 0200 hours robbing a cafe on West Ninth Street. Officer Hudson ordered the man to stop and to put his hands up. Instead the man opened fire, striking Officer Hudson. Officer Hudson returned fire, killing the suspect. He succumbed to his injuries approximately three hours later.

Officer Hudson was a U.S. Army veteran and was the first Black Little Rock officer to be killed in the line of duty.