#Arkansas headline news drivers#

Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, told a news conference about the Justice Department's plans to investigate. In a statement released Sunday evening, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the community and the department take the matter 'very seriously.” “I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter,” Damante said. Breaking Arkansas Razorbacks news and in-depth analysis from the best newsroom in sports. The Crawford County Sheriff's Office identified the three officers as Crawford County deputies Zack King and Levi White and Mulberry police officer Thell Riddle. “They were about to take him into custody because of part of their investigation on the scene - that’s when he became violent,' Damante said. Damante didn’t specify what type of weapon. 'The federal investigation is separate and independent from the ongoing state investigation.”Ĭrawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said before Worcester was arrested, an officer asked if he had any weapons on him, and he handed one over to the officer. “The FBI and the Arkansas State Police will collect all available evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough, and impartial manner,” the Justice Department said in a statement. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas, the FBI's Little Rock Field Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division opened a civil rights investigation into the incident. Worcester is white, according to jail booking information, and the three officers involved also appear to be white.Ī Justice Department spokesperson said Monday that the U.S. Two Crawford County sheriff’s deputies and one Mulberry police officer were suspended, city and county authorities said. That firm said it was still trying to gather information and did not immediately have a comment on the video. He referred a reporter to a law firm representing the family. Shasta Morse, a cashier at Kountry Xpress, said she was working when Worcester was arrested but she didn’t know about it until a customer told her later.Worcester’s father declined to comment when contacted Monday by The Associated Press. Customers also buy meals, which include American and Indian cuisine.

#Arkansas headline news drivers#

Mulberry is a town of 1,600 people on the southern edge of the Ozarks in western Arkansas, right off Interstate 40, which runs from California to North Carolina.Īt Kountry Xpress, the convenience store and filling station where the beating happened, truck drivers stop frequently to fill up on fuel. In July, the governor of Arizona signed a bill that makes it illegal to knowingly record officers from 8 feet (2.5 metres) or closer without permission. It was unclear whether the officers were wearing body cameras.Īmid public pressure for transparency and the proliferation of videos exposing police misconduct, there has been some pushback against recording officers. A sign on the door directed anyone with questions about “the police investigation” to contact Arkansas State Police. The front door at the building that serves as the Mulberry police headquarters and city hall was locked Monday. The resulting nationwide protests called attention to officer brutality that often targets Black Americans. That firm said it was still trying to gather information and did not immediately have a comment on the video.Ĭellphone video of often-violent police interactions has put a spotlight on officer conduct in recent years, particularly since the 2020 killing of George Floyd while he was being arrested by police in Minneapolis. Worcester’s father declined to comment when contacted Monday by The Associated Press. Worcester was pushing a bicycle as he left the jail.

When asked how he was feeling, he said “all right.” An attorney who escorted him from jail declined to comment on his behalf. Worcester was released Monday on $15,000 bond. He was taken to a hospital, then released and booked into the Crawford County jail in Van Buren on multiple charges, including second-degree battery, resisting arrest and making terroristic threats, state police said. “The fight was escalating with those officers, and you hear that woman on that video yelling and whoever that is, I think she could have saved his life,” said Carrie Jernigan, an attorney representing Worcester.

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