Two former Arkansas sheriff deputies are being charged with federal civil rights offenses for allegedly utilizing extreme pressure throughout a police arrest of a person at a fuel station in Mulberry, Arkansas, the Justice Division introduced Wednesday.
A grand jury returned a two-count indictment in opposition to Crawford County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Deputies Levi White and Zackary King, alleging that White repeatedly hit 27-year-old Randal Worcester of Goose Creek, South Carolina, in the course of the Aug. 21, 2022 incident and King hit Worcester a number of instances whereas he was mendacity on the bottom.
Andrew DeMillo / AP
Video of the arrest exhibits three officers repeatedly placing Worcester, who’s White, and slamming his head into the pavement. One officer repeatedly strikes Worcester with a closed fist whereas one other knee him a number of instances within the decrease physique. A bystander filmed the police in the course of the assault.
The officers have been responding to a report of a person making threats exterior a Kountry Xpress fuel station within the small city of Mulberry, about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, close to the border with Oklahoma, authorities mentioned. In a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in August, Worcester mentioned he was using his bicycle again to his house in Goose Greek, South Carolina, in keeping with court docket paperwork — greater than 900 miles away. He had stopped and requested the fuel station attendant for water, and the attendant turned indignant and known as the police, court docket paperwork mentioned.
Worcester had allegedly made “terroristic threats” in opposition to a fuel station worker, police mentioned, and threatened to chop off the worker’s face. He then left and biked round seven miles earlier than police caught him, police mentioned.
Worcester surrendered a knife after which “soccer tackled” one of many deputies and punched him at the back of the top, police mentioned. Not one of the officers have been sporting physique cameras, police mentioned.
Mulberry police officer Thell Riddle, who was additionally on the scene, has not been charged with federal civil rights prices. He’s nonetheless listed on the Mulberry Police web site as a full-time police officer. CBS Information reached out to the Mulberry police division for clarification however there was no response earlier than publication.
If convicted of the extreme pressure prices, White and King withstand 10 years in jail.
