Rally for man beaten by Arkansas law officers planned in Van Buren Saturday

Civil rights advocates are organizing a noon Saturday rally at the Crawford County Courthouse in Van Buren for a man who was beaten by law officers in Mulberry during an arrest.

Randal Ray Worcester's violent arrest, deemed reprehensible by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, was caught on video Sunday, Aug. 21. Worcester had allegedly threatened a convenience store clerk in Alma, 11 miles west of Mulberry, before he was confronted by law officers who punched and kneed him as he lay on pavement in Mulberry.

The rally will be from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 at the courthouse.

Fort Smith attorney David Powell, who is representing Worcester on allegations in Crawford County that he threatened the Alma clerk, said Worcester has been staying in Oklahoma after being released on $15,000 bail. Worcester is recovering from injuries from the arrest, Powell said.

What we know:Arkansas police video sparks investigation into incident

Powell said the rally has been organized by Derek van Voast of Springdale who has worked as a special assistant to The Rev. Jesse Jackson. Voast is the founder of Building Bridges Inc., a nonprofit that helps families and youth. Voast has had unsuccessful campaigns as a Democrat for a state senate seat and a Springdale city council seat.

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the violent arrest. Two Crawford County deputies, Zack King and Levi White, and Mulberry police officer Thell Riddle have been suspended.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Rally for man beaten during Arkansas arrest planned for Saturday