FORT SMITH – Two former Crawford County, Arkansas, sheriff’s deputies, Levi White, 34, and Zackary King, 28, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses for using unlawful force on a man they arrested.
The incident occurred on August 21, 2022, when White, King, and a third officer approached a man identified as R.W. in a gas station parking lot during their investigation into a person threatening a store attendant. R.W. lunged at White and tackled him, then all three officers quickly subdued R.W. and pinned him to the ground.
However, once R.W. was pinned to the ground and no longer fighting the officers, King kicked R.W. in the back and struck R.W. once in the midsection with his fist. At approximately the same time, White punched R.W. at least nine times in the head, then lifted R.W.’s head and slammed it into the pavement.
R.W. suffered head injuries from the assault. The FBI Little Rock Field Office and ARKTrust Task Force investigated the case.
“The videos from this incident are a shocking display of the violent deprivation of civil rights committed by these officers,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas. “No person in police custody should ever feel threatened or should ever experience violence at the hands of those who are sworn to protect the public. We will continue to vigorously pursue justice in cases involving the violation of civil rights in the Western District of Arkansas.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “The defendants swore an oath to uphold the law, then violated that oath and abused their power by assaulting a person who was pinned to the ground and not resisting. These defendants will now face the serious consequences that result from their unlawful actions.”
The maximum penalty for White is 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. King faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Related Federal Cases
- Arkansas Cops Beat Man on the Ground: Feds File Charges · Arkansas
- Arkansas Detention Supervisors Plead Guilty to Assault · Arkansas
- Former Arkansas Deputies Plead Guilty to Civil Rights Violations · Arkansas
- Arkansas Man Accused of Attacking Cops on Jan. 6th · Arkansas
- Arkansas Man Gets 52 Months for Capitol Beatdown · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
