Crawford County deputies fail to show at 'name-clearing' hearing
VAN BUREN - Two former Crawford County deputies fired over excessive force complaints had requested a public hearing at the sheriff's department lobby Wednesday in efforts to clear their names, the sheriff's office reported.
But neither Levi White nor Zack King showed up Wednesday. Instead, a woman showed up up to make accusations that she is another person who has been roughed up during an arrest by White.
White and King were caught on video making a rough arrest of Randal Worcester on Sunday, Aug. 21. The video taken by a bystander showed White, King and a Mulberry police officer, Thell Riddle, beating Worcester in Mulberry, Arkansas after a convenience store clerk in Alma claimed Worcester threatened her.
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Crawford County Chief Deputy Brad Wiley did appear at the name-clearing hearing.
"I have a prepared statement for you," Wiley said to reporters. "The Crawford County Sheriff's Department received a request on behalf of former deputies Levi White and Zachary King for a name-clearing hearing. As a result of this request, the Crawford County Sheriff's Department has provided a forum for the employees to address the public and the basis for employment decisions. The name-clearing hearing is informational only, it is not an appeal to previous employment decisions nor are the previous employment decisions subject to reconsideration."
Wiley then walked away from the podium. The deputies did not appear. Sheriff Jimmy Damante did not appear at the hearing.
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Attorney David Powell of Fort Smith, who previously represented Worcester, said Worcester is now represented by another attorney in Oklahoma City. Powell is now representing a woman who also says White used excessive force in her arrest.
Tammy Nelson said on Aug. 21 she was at her home where she was involved in a civil matter that resulted in a heated argument that didn't go to well. White was sent to the call, where things escalated for the worse, she said.
"I was just attacked by him and violated, and thrown to the ground," Nelson said. She was arrested on complaints of obstruction of a government operation and harassment, and jailed.
Powell said the incident was similar to what happened to Worcester that was caught on video. He has heard from other clients who have such complaints, he said.
"We came here today basically thinking that there was some kind of name-clearing event and we wanted to know what they were clearing their names of," Powell said. "As far as I know there is still an ongoing FBI investigation and a special prosecutor has not made a decision on whether or not to file criminal charges against these officers. They both have been released from the sheriff's office, they no longer work here and they are subjects of civil complaints."
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Activist Derek Van Voast of Springdale, who works as an assistance to The Rev. Jesse Jackson, traveled to Van Buren where he expected to hear from White and King too.
"Any time someone gets their chance to clear their name and they get the stage, wrong, right or indifferent, I think they should, and I think they could," Voast said. "And by their lack of showing they didn't care to clear their names. That tells me everything I need to know. You see, time is the most precious thing on this Earth, and if you don't have enough time to clear your name than it is not that important to you."
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Crawford County deputies don't show at hearing for excessive force
