 |
| CHIEF BUCKNER PONDERS ABOUT THE LOCATION OF HIS GUN |
|
|
Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner says he was issued a written reprimand by the city manager after losing his city-issued handgun, a .40-caliber Glock 27.
Buckner says he realized the gun was missing over Memorial Day weekend when he was moving from an apartment where he was living to a home he had purchased in an exclusive neighborhood off Chenal Valley Drive.
The chief says he doesn't know whether the gun was stolen or misplaced but pointed out there were several movers, cable company workers and other strangers in his house during the move.
During an interview Wednesday, Buckner called it a "regrettable moment."
CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO OF INTERVIEW
Buckner says the gun was valued at about $460 -- money the chief says he repaid the department.
Buckner described the gun as a "back-up" weapon that he usually kept "close-by."
"Because I don't know where it is or what happened, I can't be certain of anything", stated a bedraggled Buckner.
************
--UPDATE - August 20, 2015--
Authorities arrested two people Wednesday who were found with stolen handguns, one of which the Little Rock Police Department chief reported missing earlier this year.
Officers initially responded to a suspicious vehicle at Shackleford Crossings Shopping Center, 2600 S. Shackleford Road, about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.
At the scene, they found 20-year-old Edward Williams and another individual inside a vehicle at the shopping center's parking lot. The driver, Williams, and the other suspect were each holding a handgun in their laps, according to a police report.
A Little Rock police news release included the name of the second suspect, though his name is redacted in the police report, which states it "contains juvenile information."
Police said they also observed Williams in the vehicle counting a "large sum of money," later determined to be $260.
One of the handguns was identified as a police-issued Glock model 27 belonging to Chief Kenton Buckner, who reported his gun missing shortly after Memorial Day weekend this year.
Authorities said they do not believe the Little Rock police weapon was used for any crimes.
The other handgun was identified by police as a Smith and Wesson SW40VE handgun.
Williams and the other suspect are charged with theft by receiving, possessing an instrument of a crime and possession of a schedule VI drug with the intent to deliver.
The second suspect was also charged on multiple warrants for failure to appear.
A search of the vehicle at the scene also revealed narcotics and digital scales, according to the report
Buckner told reporters, "I was glad to see the weapon recovered. It is hit or miss with stolen property. Rarely are you lucky enough to recover your property"..."I have no connection to the men arrested for possession of the weapon. They were not part of any of the workers that I witnessed in my home during my move. I highly doubt we will ever know how they gained possession of the weapon".
That says a lot about the capabilities of the Little Rock Police Department to solve crimes, even one that involves the Chief of Police.
**********
- UPDATE - November 22, 2015 -
A man who had Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner's missing pistol when arrested in August was sentenced to two years of probation Thursday without saying how he acquired the .40-caliber Glock.
The sentence imposed on 20-year-old Nathaniel Mitchell Sullivan of Little Rock by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen was based on state sentencing guidelines for a first-time offender with no serious criminal history.
Sullivan pleaded guilty to theft by receiving in October in exchange for prosecutors not making a sentencing recommendation. The charge is a Class D felony that carries a maximum of six years in prison.
Sullivan also was ordered to pay a $500 fine, attend a theft-prevention class and complete 50 hours of community service within the next year.
If he stays out of trouble with the law while he's on probation, he can have his record expunged.
Buckner was invited to Thursday's sentencing hearing but did not attend. The police chief has said he does not know Sullivan and does not know how Sullivan got his weapon.
Buckner reported the weapon missing in June. He told city officials the gun disappeared during a move to a new home over the Memorial Day weekend.
He was subsequently reprimanded for improper or negligent handling of city property. He reimbursed the city the $457.80 cost of the handgun.
He has said he does not think the weapon was stolen.
The firearm was one of two issued to Buckner after he was sworn in as chief in June 2014. It has the shield of the Police Department on its side. The city can petition the court for its return once the criminal proceedings are concluded.
