We made a Freedom of Information request to the Arkansas State Police ("ASP") for any list maintained by ASP that reflected or listed disciplinary actions that resulted in a suspension for currently employed ASP Troopers.
ASP replied and their Office of Profession Standards ("OPS") maintained such a list and that it had about 80 troopers on that list.
ASP was required to notify those individuals that we had requested that record.
Apparently that record hit a hot spot with some troopers on that list and they objected to it being provided to us.
Colonel Mike Hagar, the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and ASP Director requested an opinion from the Arkansas Attorney General regarding the release of this record.
Col. Mike Hagar |
The ASP provided this record in response to our request.
H
The AG's opinion states the two troopers object to the release. Their names were not provided but we think we might have an idea who they are.
Four troopers were suspended for having sex on duty:
Chad Maness |
Zack Owens |
Justin Ricketts |
David Smothers |
Perhaps the objectors are one of those four.
Or, it might have been one of these troopers:
Trooper Billy Martin had an
inappropriate relationship with a 14 year old female in which they
exchanged over 3,000 text messages. Martin also had an extramarital
affair with a married woman
Billy Martin |
Trooper Earnest Benton, in a fit of anger, broke a window in his girlfriend's home and unlocked the door and entered her home without her permission. He might have been inebriated as the ASP required him to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Earnest Benton |
Trooper Brian Johnson showed up at a firearms training session a little tipsy. Johnson was tested and had a BAC of .014.
Brian Johnson |
We will be requesting the personnel files and investigation records of all of the troopers on the list ASP provided to us.
Stay tuned for that.