According to Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante, two Arkansas officers who were shown on camera forcibly apprehending a guy outside of a convenience store in August have been dismissed.
Levi White and Zachary King’s firing was announced by Damante to Fort Smith television station KHBS, although he did not provide any details. The Associated Press left messages for Damante, but they were not immediately responded to.
Approximately 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, close to the Oklahoma border, a spectator saw White, King and Mulberry Police Officer Thell Riddle detaining 27-year-old Randal Worcester outside a convenience shop in Mulberry.
Messages left Thursday afternoon did not immediately get a response from a lawyer representing the deputies.
Shannon Gregory, the chief of police in Mulberry, said that Riddle is still on administrative leave.
One of the officers repeatedly kneed and punched Worcester in the head during the arrest on August 21 in the bystander’s video, before seizing his hair and throwing him to the ground. While that was going on, one cop was holding Worcester down while another was repeatedly kneeing him.
Damante said that Worcester was being questioned in relation to threatening a convenience store employee in Alma, a neighboring small town. Damante said that before the arrest, Worcester tackled and hit one of the cops in the head. According to Damante, the deputy sustained a concussion.
Since January 10, White has worked as a deputy for Crawford County. King has served as a deputy for Crawford since July 31, 2019. He served the county as a civilian jailer for a year and a half prior to that.
Following the distribution of the arrest footage on social media, the three cops were placed on administrative leave, and state and federal authorities opened investigations. Last month, State Police concluded their investigation; a special prosecutor has not yet said whether the three would be charged.
Worcester, who claims that the cops and municipal authorities violated his constitutional rights, filed a federal lawsuit against them.
The dismissals were deemed a “start in the right direction” by a Worcester attorney.
To achieve justice for Randal and honestly for Crawford County as a whole, attorney Adam Rose told the AP, “It’s simply a single step in a very long path.”
After receiving medical attention, Worcester was put in prison on allegations of second-degree violence and resisting police. On a $15,000 bail, he was freed the next day. According to Worcester’s claim, the arrest left him with long-term injuries that will need ongoing medical care.