Two Crawford County sheriff’s deputies and a Mulberry police officer have been suspended with pay after making an arrest Sunday morning. A video posted to Facebook, which can be seen above, shows officers beating a man they were arresting on the sidewalk at Kountry Xpress near Mulberry. The Crawford County Sheriff identified the three law enforcement officers as Deputy Levi White, Deputy Zack King and Officer Mulberry. Thell Riddle. Arrest incident The incident began at a gas station in Alma. Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said a man named Randall Worcester threatened an employee, who called police. Police issued a “be on the lookout”. The man left the gas station and rode his bike to the Kountry Xpress, where an officer saw him, Damante said. Damante said the suspect was cooperative at first. Then, Damante said, he became violent and tried to attack the officers. That’s when they pinned him and where the video is taken. Damante told 40/29 News that one of the officers suffered minor head injuries during the incident. Investigation Arkansas State Police are investigating the incident. In a statement, they said the investigation “will be limited to the use of physical force by the deputies and the police officer.” “I want everyone to get a fair look,” Damante said. “We’re going to look into this and I want my people to be held accountable.” He said dashcam video from the Mulberry Police Department shows more of the incident. He has been turned over to the Arkansas State Police and has not been released to the public. An attorney for White and King wrote to 40/29 News saying he had requested the release of Mulberry’s dash cam video. Man who was arrested, according to Arkansas State Police, the man arrested in the video is Randall Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Worcester was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, refusal to submit, possession of an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threats and second-degree assault. Worcester was booked into the Crawford County Jail, Damante said. He declined medical treatment, but Damante said he was taken to the hospital to be checked out anyway. Worcester was released from jail Monday afternoon. He and his attorney declined to discuss the incident. The officer’s lawyer releases a statement. An attorney for White and King sent a news release about the incident to 40/29 News and spoke to our reporter by phone. then hitting him in the back of the head and face. Wood said White suffered a concussion. “Such a violent suspect cannot be allowed to go unchecked and all necessary force is authorized to arrest this type of violent suspect,” Wood said. any medical care,” Wood said. “This shows that compliance strikes administered by deputies were used exactly as they were trained.” “These techniques are taught to inflict pain but not to create harm, and that is exactly what happened,” Wood said. “Now, I understand that the video may look bad to the general public, but that’s how they’re trained to deal with these violent criminals who don’t want to be arrested.” 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,” said Sheriff Jimmy Damante. “We condemn all violence against any civilian or any person arrested by the sheriff’s office,” he said. Asa Hutchinson called a violent arrest in Arkansas “reprehensible conduct” and inconsistent with his training.
CRAWFORD COUNTY, Arkansas —
Two Crawford County sheriff’s deputies and a Mulberry police officer have been suspended with pay after making an arrest Sunday morning.
A video posted to Facebook, which can be seen above, shows officers beating a man they pull over on the sidewalk at 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 began at a petrol station in Alma.
Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said a man named Randall Worcester threatened an employee, who called police. Police issued a “be on the lookout”. The man left the gas station and rode his bike to the Kountry Xpress, where an officer saw him, Damante said.
Damante said the suspect was cooperative at first. Then, Damante said, he became violent and tried to attack the officers. That’s when they pinned him and where the video is taken.
Damante told 40/29 News that one of the deputies suffered minor head injuries during the incident.
Research
Arkansas State Police are investigating the incident. In a statement, they said the investigation “will be limited to the use of physical force by deputies and police.”
“I want everyone to get a fair look,” Damante said. “We’re going to look into this and I want my people to be held accountable.”
He said dashcam video from the Mulberry Police Department shows more of the incident. He has been turned over to the Arkansas State Police and has not been released to the public.
An attorney for White and King wrote to 40/29 News saying it had requested the release of Mulberry’s 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 second-degree assault, resisting arrest, refusal to submit, possession of an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threats and second-degree assault.
Worcester was booked into the Crawford County Jail, Damante said. He refused medical treatment, but Damante said he was taken to the hospital anyway to be checked out.
Worcester was released from jail Monday afternoon.
He and his attorney declined to discuss the incident.
The agents’ lawyer issues a statement
An attorney for White and King emailed a news release about the incident to 40/29 News and spoke to our reporter by phone.
Attorney Russell Wood said Worcester attacked White, slamming his body into a concrete parking lot and then punching him in the back of the head and face. Wood said White suffered a concussion.
“Such a violent suspect cannot be allowed to remain unrestrained and all necessary force is authorized to arrest this type of violent suspect,” Wood said.
“The suspect also stated that he had no injuries when he was booked into the jail and did not require or request any medical attention,” Wood said. “This shows that compliance strikes administered by deputies were used exactly as they were formed.”
“These techniques are taught to inflict pain but not to create damage, and that’s exactly what happened,” Wood said. “Now, I understand the video may look bad to the general public, but this is how they train to deal with these violent criminals who don’t want to be arrested.”
Official reaction
“The conduct shown in the video that is being circulated is not indicative of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department or any law enforcement agency in this area,” said Sheriff Jimmy Damante.
“We condemn all violence against any civilian or anyone detained by the sheriff’s office,” he said.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson called a violent arrest in Arkansas “reprehensible conduct” and inconsistent with his training.
