Levi White and Zachary King: Arkansas deputies fired after video shows them beating man during violent arrest
MULBERRY, ARKANSAS: Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante announced Thursday, Oct 6, that two Arkansas deputies who were seen on video in August violently arresting a suspect outside a convenience store have been fired. Speaking to Fort Smith television station KHBS, Damante stated that Levi White and Zachary King, two deputies, were fired, but gave no further details, CBS News reported.
About 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, near the Oklahoma border, White, King, and Mulberry police officer Thell Riddle were caught by a passerby arresting 27-year-old Randal Worcester outside a convenience store in Mulberry. Shannon Gregory, Mulberry police chief, said Riddle is still on administrative leave.
READ MORE
Three Arkansas cops SUSPENDED for brutally beating suspect during arrest after public outrage
Woman who filmed 3 cops brutally beating Arkansas man says he did NOT provoke attack 'at any time'
On Sunday, Aug 21, police say 27-year-old Randall Worcester threatened a convenience store clerk in Mulberry, Arkansas, near Little Rock. The video was taken at The Kountry Xpress in Mulberry, Arkansas. As several officers approached him, he allegedly pushed a sheriff to the ground and punched him in the back of the head, leading to the arrest seen in the video. However, the video footage shows the three officers repeatedly brutally beating the suspect with clenched fists, even after he was restrained. The video was shared online by Naomi Johnson via Snapchat after her sister witnessed the incident and recorded it on her phone. A stunned Jackson asked who she should send it to in order to report the officers for misconduct.
According to Damante, Worcester was questioned in connection with threatening an employee of a convenience store in Alma, a nearby small town. He claimed that prior to the arrest, the man assaulted one of the deputies and struck him on the head and that the deputy suffered a concussion.
White has worked for the Crawford County Sheriff's Department since Jan 10. King has served as a deputy for Crawford since July 31, 2019. Prior to that, he served as a civilian jailer for the county for a year and a half. The three officers were placed on leave after the arrest video went viral on social media and state and federal authorities launched investigations. A special prosecutor has not yet announced whether the three will be charged after state police concluded their investigation last month.
Worcester, who claims the officers and local officials violated his constitutional rights, filed a federal lawsuit against them. The dismissals, a lawyer for Worcester said, are "a step in the right direction." Attorney Adam Rose told the AP, "It's just a single step in a very long journey to have justice for Randal and honestly for Crawford County as a whole."
After receiving medical attention, Worcester was taken into custody on charges of second-degree assault and resisting police. He was released the next day on $15,000 bail. According to Worcester's lawsuit, he suffered long-term injuries from the arrest that requires ongoing medical care.