Saturday, May 7, 2016

LITTLE ROCK FORKS OVER $1.5 MILLION IN SETTLEMENT FOR QUESTIONABLE FATAL SHOOTING BY OFF-DUTY OFFICERS


EUGENE ELLISON -KILLED BY OFF-DUTY COPS


An attorney for the family of a Eugene Ellison fatally shot by Little Rock police in 2010 says the roughly $1.5 million settlement in the family’s lawsuit marks the largest settlement in the city’s history for a police shooting.

The city agreed Friday to pay the family of Eugene Ellison $900,000 and formally apologize. Attorney Mike Laux says that brings the total settlement in the family’s lawsuit to about $1.5 million, when added to the agreement reached in April with the apartment complex where the shooting occurred.

Laux says that’s the largest settlement in Little Rock history for such a case, and likely the state.

Laux says the apology from the city is more important to Ellison’s sons, one of whom is a Little Rock police lieutenant and another who is a former Little Rock police officer.

Ellison was shot after the two off-duty officers who were working security at the building entered Ellison’s apartment without a warrant. The lawsuit alleged that one of the officers improperly used deadly force by shooting Ellison following an argument and scuffle.

Neither of the officers, who are both white, were criminally charged. Both remain on the Little Rock police force.


 
DONNA LESHER



TABITHA MCRILLS
 
WATCH IN DEPTH REPORT BY KARK-TV 

WATCH THE DEPOSITIONS 

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These two loose cannons need to be fired from the Little Rock Police Department.  

The citizens of Little Rock are in jeopardy with them carrying guns and roaming the streets of the city. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

LR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY LATOYA AUSTIN DRAWS WRATH OF CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE TIM FOX

LATOYNA AUSTIN - FORMER DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY FOR LITTLE ROCK


A circuit judge fined Little Rock $10,000 Monday for not being ready for trial in the case of a former police officer suing the city and for failing to follow the judge's scheduling order.

Judge Tim Fox issued the fine after Latonya Austin, the attorney for Little Rock, filed several motions for continuance of a jury trial that was set to begin next week. Fox took issue with the city only assigning one attorney to what he described as a "complex" case. Austin resigned after the fine was assessed.

It isn't the first time a court has said Austin didn't follow rules, leading to the city having to pay out money.

City Attorney Tom Carpenter said in an emailed statement Monday that he understands the court's frustration, but that he doesn't believe the fine is appropriate. The city is reviewing the matter and may challenge it, he said.

Fox chastised the city throughout his written order issuing the fine.

"Even though the Little Rock City Attorney's Office has a number of attorneys who regularly engage in trial work in both the state and federal courts, the defendants have elected to only have a single attorney make an entry of appearance as attorney of record for purposes of trying this matter," Fox wrote in his fining order.

"[Austin] made numerous statements on the record indicating she had not properly or professionally prepared the case for trial and that she had failed and refused to comply with the court's scheduling order," Fox said.

The $10,000 penalty assessed on the city is pursuant to Rule 11 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure, Fox said. The city must pay the fine to the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk within 10 days.

Carpenter said in his statement that sanctions under the rule "are not appropriate," and that the city is investigating the matter and will take the appropriate steps to possibly challenge the penalty.

Austin, a deputy city attorney in Carpenter's office, is handling defense in the case of Tiffany Malone vs. City of Little Rock, which was filed almost two years ago.

Fox's order came four days after Austin filed a third motion to continue trial in this case Thursday. Austin's third request was after Fox had already denied her second rescheduling motion in March and also denied her request to reconsider that denial.

"At the pre-trial hearing on April 4, 2016, [Austin] stated she has never previously handled any litigation involving the legal issues present in this case," Fox wrote Monday.

Austin is the same attorney who handled an appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court in December on a circuit court decision in which the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal over the city failing to follow rules. That meant the city had to pay a $510,675 judgment to land owners in an eminent domain case decided by a jury in circuit court.

In that case, the Supreme Court said the city didn't order and pay for a $1,500 trial transcript on time. It also involved Austin filing motions for extension of time.


In the current case, Malone, formerly an officer of the Little Rock Police Department, filed a suit against the city in May 2014 alleging gender discrimination and retaliation.

She said she was sexually harassed by her supervisor -- including inappropriate sexual requests, comments, text messages and discipline -- on a regular basis.

Malone said she repeatedly rejected the advances and complained to the captain and to the Human Resources Department, but that no investigation was conducted and no action was taken.

When she went back to the officials with recordings that she says are of her supervisor admitting to the harassment, she said she was disciplined for recording him and received the same punishment levied on him for the alleged harassment.

The city denied that the supervisor admitted to harassment in the recording and said that he was never disciplined for harassment as Malone alleged. The city stated further that Malone's 30-day suspension was for multiple offenses, not just the recording.

The city did say that Human Resources told Malone she needed proof of alleged harassment "before anything could be done."

Malone further alleged that she was treated differently than male counterparts when a group of officers were disciplined for "unbecoming" behavior that did not involve violence or a criminal act.

Malone was eventually fired, with the city citing dishonesty and the use of excessive force. She said she pepper sprayed a man who kicked her. The city said Malone's firing was unrelated to her allegations.

The city denied Malone's allegations and said Malone complained to her sergeant for the first time three days before filing her complaint.

Fox's court canceled the jury trial that was scheduled for Wednesday of next week. A new trial date has not been set.

Austin has been employed in the city attorney's office for 2 and a half years. Prior to that she worked at the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, handled her own cases under her self-owned law firm, and was a public defender in the Pulaski County Public Defender's Office.

She's also been a prosecutor in Pulaski County and a law clerk to the Arkansas attorney general. She graduated from the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
 
After Carpenter filed his motion for Fox to reconsider the sanction, he subsequently filed a motion to stay the payment of the fine until Fox had ruled on the reconsideration request.

Fox's April 25 order told the city to pay the fine within 10 days. That deadline came and went without the city paying and without Fox responding to Carpenter's motions.

After the deadline had passed, Fox declined both motions without comment and ordered City Manager Bruce Moore to appear in a contempt hearing to explain why the fine wasn't paid on time.

At that hearing, a back-and-forth exchange with Carpenter and Fox ensued, with Fox interrupting Carpenter several times. A few days after the hearing, Fox issued a written order finding the city in contempt for failure to pay the fine on time.

"The defendant Little Rock's failure to pay the fine as ordered was based, in whole or in part, on advice of legal counsel from its city attorney," Fox wrote. "Such advice fell below professional standards of competence and was in direct violation of established case law. The Arkansas Supreme Court has previously held that acting on advice of counsel is not a defense to a charge of contempt of court but that such reliance does lessen the seriousness of the offense."

The city had already paid the fine before the contempt hearing and argued that the hearing was moot and had asked Fox to cancel it, but Fox didn't.

"This is a civil contempt; the city did not willfully disobey the order of the court, but instead pointed out that the order was not entered in accordance with Arkansas law and sought appropriate relief," Carpenter wrote in his request. "Civil contempt can be cured by the alleged contemnor by performing the necessary action, i.e., the payment of the sanction."

"... the Arkansas Supreme Court has clearly stated that a finding of criminal contempt for the failure to pay Rule 11 sanctions constitutes 'a plain, manifest, and gross abuse of discretion' that cannot be upheld. Ivy v. Keith, 351 Ark. at 285," Carpenter cited.

Fox said in order for the city to cancel out its contempt, Carpenter must go to six hours of continuing legal education on case management and ethics by January or be faced with a default judgment against the city in the Malone case.

Carpenter said at the time that Fox's finding wasn't based on fact.

"The Arkansas Supreme Court -- not any circuit court -- in control of the requirements for continuing legal education, which I meet and exceed every year," he said.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

LITTLE ROCK FIRE CHIEF ENCOURAGES AND CONDONES ILLEGAL PARKING OF DEPARTMENT VEHICLES FOR LUNCH

A Little Rock Fire Department vehicle was observed parked in a clearly marked 'no parking zone' this week on Towne Oaks Drive, next to the Rodney Parham U.S. Pizza location.

The vehicle's driver side tires had rubber chocks placed behind them and no other emergency vehicles were nearby.

LRFD PARKED ILLEGALLY FOR A LUNCH BREAK

LRFD - WE PARK WHERE WE WANT, WHEN WE WANT




So we sent a Freedom of Information request to LRFS Chief Gregory Summers to find out who or what needed to be rescued. The photos of the illegally parked truck were attached to our request.




We received this response from Chief Summers.




Based on his short and sweet response we deduced that the Search & Rescue guys were chowing down on some pizza and felt that they could park wherever the hell they wanted.  After all they are firemen and don't have to follow the laws, even at lunch.

So we replied back to Chief Summers and asked if they were eating lunch instead of responding to an emergency.  Chief replied that they were indeed having lunch as part of their "public relations" efforts.


Summers affirmation that his firemen were at lunch in his second email received this response from us.



We waited for a response for Chief Summers, but none was forthcoming.

It appears that Summers permits his employees to break the law. That is shameful and is actionable. 


LRFD CHIEF GREGORY SUMMERS

***UPDATE***

After we posted the story, we received another email from Chief Summers.


Smart move Chief Summers. 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

MAJORITY OF LITTLE ROCK POLICE OFFICERS DO NOT RESIDE IN LITTLE ROCK




Startling and shocking information about the Little Rock Police Department was reported by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and the Arkansas Times.  Only 174 or 34% of the 527 LRPD officers actually reside in Little Rock; Of the 160 black officers, 99 or 62% live in the city; Of the 354 white officers, only 75 or 21% live in the city.

LRPD Chief Kenton Bucker has made public statements that his officers choose not to live in Little Rock because of the school systems and crime.



 
The city board of directors has tried twice to pass an ordinance to require police officers to reside in the city.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Reverend Wendell Griffen speaking at the Little Rock Board of Directors meeting on June 16th referred to LRPD Officers that were not residents of Little Rock as "mercenaries".


 WATCH VIDEO OF JUDGE GRIFFEN'S ADDRESSING THE LRBOD 

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

LITTLE ROCK CHIEF OF POLICE LOOSES GUN

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.

Friday, November 14, 2014

LITTLE ROCK FIREMAN ARRESTED ON PROSTITUTION CHARGE

 
EDWIN HARRIS - FIREFIGHTER, MASSUER & MALE PROSTITUTE?


A firefighter for the city of Little Rock, Edwin Harris, who was working off-duty as a masseur at Asian Massage on Bowman Road was arrested by an undercover female police officer after he made an agreement to engage in sex with her for $40.00.

Harris has been a licensed massage therapist since 2000 and has been employed by the Little Rock Fire Department since August 2012.







Earlier this month officers say a female undercover detective paid for a massage in which she says Harris engaged in sexual contact.

The report says Harris also followed the detective to her car and agreed to have sex with her for 40 bucks, that's when he was arrested.

"It's upsetting when anyone gets arrested for those types of charges but when it's someone held in high regard by the community it hurts that much more," says Lt. Sidney Allen.

Harris was the only person charged at the business with prostitution which is a misdemeanor.

At this point police say the investigation is on going and would not say if there will be other charges.

The Little Rock Fire Chief did not want to talk about the arrest, however we're told Harris is still working at the fire department.


- UPDATE - 

Harris stuck some kind of deal to get the case dropped (a massage and sex with the judge maybe?) and remains employed as a firefighter.