Wednesday, March 27

Sheriff IDs Arkansas officers suspended after violent arrest


Two Crawford County sheriff’s deputies and a Mulberry police officer have been suspended with pay after making an arrest on Sunday morning. A video posted to Facebook, which can be viewed above, shows officers hitting a man they were arresting on the sidewalk outside Kountry Xpress near Mulberry. The Crawford County sheriff identified the three law enforcement officers as Deputy Levi White, Deputy Zack King and Mulberry Officer Thell Riddle.Arrest incidentThe incident started at a gas station in Alma. Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said a man named Randall Worcester threatened a clerk, who called the police. Police issued a “be on the lookout.” The man left the gas station and rode his bike to the Kountry Xpress, where a deputy spotted him, Damante said. Damante said, at first, the suspect was cooperative. Then, Damante said, he turned violent and tried to attack the officers. That’s when they pinned him down and where the video picks up. Damante told 40/29 News one of the deputies sustained minor head injuries during the incident. Investigation Arkansas State Police are investigating the incident. In a release, they said that the investigation “will be limited to the use of physical force by the deputies and police officer.” “I want everybody to have a fair look at this,” Damante said. “We are going to look into this, and I want to hold my people accountable.” He said dashcam video from the Mulberry Police Department shows more of the incident. It has been turned over to Arkansas State Police and has not been released to the public.An attorney for White and King wrote to 40/29 News saying he has requested the release of the Mulberry dash cam video.Man who was arrestedAccording to Arkansas State Police, the man being arrested in the video is Randall Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Worcester was charged with a second-degree battery, resisting arrest, refusal to submit, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threatening and second-degree assault. Damante said Worcester was booked into Crawford County jail. He refused medical treatment, but Damante said he was taken to the hospital to be examined anyway. Worcester was released from jail Monday afternoon. He and his attorney declined to talk about the incident. Officers’ attorney releases statementAn attorney for White and King emailed a news release about the incident to 40/29 News.The attorney wrote that Worcester attacked White, body-slamming him onto a concrete parking lot and then striking him in the back of the head and the face.”Such a violent suspect cannot be allowed to remain unrestrained and all necessary force is authorized to arrest this type of violent suspect,” the attorney wrote.”The suspect also stated he had no injuries when booked into the jail and he did not need or request any medical attention,” the attorney wrote. “This shows that the compliance strikes administered by the deputies were used exactly as trained.” Official reaction “The conduct that appears in the video that is circulating is not indicative of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department or any law enforcement agency in this area,” Sheriff Jimmy Damante said.”We condemn all violence against any civilian or any person being detained by the sheriff’s office,” he said. Gov. Asa Hutchinson called a violent arrest in Arkansas “reprehensible conduct” and inconsistent with their training.

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Two Crawford County sheriff’s deputies and a Mulberry police officer have been suspended with pay after making an arrest on Sunday morning.

A video posted to Facebook, which can be viewed above, shows officers hitting a man they were arresting on the sidewalk outside Kountry Xpress near Mulberry.

The Crawford County sheriff identified the three law enforcement officers as Deputy Levi White, Deputy Zack King and Mulberry Officer Thell Riddle.

arrest incident

The incident started at a gas station in Alma.

Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said a man named Randall Worcester threatened a clerk, who called the police. Police issued a “be on the lookout.” The man left the gas station and rode his bike to the Kountry Xpress, where a deputy spotted him, Damante said.

Damante said, at first, the suspect was cooperative. Then, Damante said, he turned violent and tried to attack the officers. That’s when they pinned him down and where the video picks up.

Damante told 40/29 News one of the deputies sustained minor head injuries during the incident.

Investigation

Arkansas State Police are investigating the incident. In a release, they said that the investigation “will be limited to the use of physical force by the deputies and police officer.”

“I want everybody to have a fair look at this,” Damante said. “We are going to look into this, and I want to hold my people accountable.”

He said dashcam video from the Mulberry Police Department shows more of the incident. It has been turned over to Arkansas State Police and has not been released to the public.

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An attorney for White and King wrote to 40/29 News saying he has requested the release of the Mulberry dash cam video.

Man who was arrested

According to Arkansas State Police, the man being arrested in the video is Randall Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Worcester was charged with a second-degree battery, resisting arrest, refusal to submit, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threatening and second-degree assault.

Damante said Worcester was booked into Crawford County jail. He refused medical treatment, but Damante said he was taken to the hospital to be examined anyway.

Worcester was released from jail Monday afternoon.

He and his attorney declined to talk about the incident.

Officers’ attorney releases statement

An attorney for White and King emailed a news release about the incident to 40/29 News.

The attorney wrote that Worcester attacked White, body-slamming him onto a concrete parking lot and then striking him in the back of the head and the face.

“Such a violent suspect cannot be allowed to remain unrestrained and all necessary force is authorized to arrest this type of violent suspect,” the attorney wrote.

“The suspect also stated he had no injuries when booked into the jail and he did not need or request any medical attention,” the attorney wrote. “This shows that the compliance strikes administered by the deputies were used exactly as trained.”

Official reaction

“The conduct that appears in the video that is circulating is not indicative of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department or any law enforcement agency in this area,” Sheriff Jimmy Damante said.

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“We condemn all violence against any civilian or any person being detained by the sheriff’s office,” he said.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson called a violent arrest in Arkansas “reprehensible conduct” and inconsistent with their training.


www.4029tv.com

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