Two Arkansas deputies who were captured on camera in August arresting a suspect aggressively outside a convenience store have been dismissed, according to Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante.
Damante told KHBS, a television station in Fort Smith, that deputies Levi White and Zachary King had been terminated, but he did not elaborate. The Associated Press did not immediately receive a response from Damante to their messages.
A bystander captured White, King, and Mulberry Police Officer Thell Riddle arresting 27-year-old Randal Worcester in front of a convenience store in the small town of Mulberry, roughly 140 miles northwest of Little Rock and near the Oklahoma border.
Thursday afternoon, an attorney for the deputies did not immediately respond to messages.
According to Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory, Riddle continues to be on administrative leave.
A bystander’s video of Worcester’s arrest on August 21 shows a deputy repeatedly striking and kneeing him in the head before seizing his hair and throwing him to the ground. While this was occurring, a second cop restrained Worcester while a third repeatedly kneed him.
Damante stated that Worcester was being questioned for allegedly intimidating a clerk at a neighboring convenience store in Alma. Before the arrest, according to Damante, Worcester tackled one of the cops and hit him in the head. The deputy sustained a concussion, according to Damante.
FILE — On August 22, 2022, Randal Worcester exits the Crawford County Justice Center in Van Buren, Arkansas. Two Arkansas deputies who were captured on film arresting Worcester aggressively outside of a convenience shop in August have been dismissed, according to Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante. Andrew DeMillo / AP
Since January 10, White has been a deputy for Crawford County. King has been a deputy in Crawford since July 31, 2019. Prior to that, he served the county for a year and a half as a civilian jailer.
The three cops were suspended after the arrest footage was shared on social media, and investigations were begun by state and federal authorities. The State Police concluded their investigation last month, and a special prosecutor has not yet declared whether or not the three suspects will be charged.
Worcester filed a federal complaint against the officers and local authorities, alleging that they violated his constitutional rights.
A Worcester attorney described the firings as “a start in the right direction.”
Adam Rose, an attorney, told the AP, “It’s only one step in a very long process to achieve justice for Randal and Crawford County as a whole.”
Worcester was hospitalized and subsequently incarcerated on allegations of second-degree violence and resisting arrest. The following day, he was released after posting a $15,000 bond. According to Worcester’s claim, he sustained lifelong injuries during his arrest and will require ongoing medical care.
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