Dr. Ted Brown September 22, 2023 Arkansas Public Safety Secretary Colonel Mike Hagar announced today that Dr. Theodore (Ted) Brown will be the next Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL) Director, effective October 23rd. “We felt that it was important to have someone in this role who was passionate about the Crime Lab, not someone who was just looking for a job and not someone who wants a title,” Col. Hagar said to ASCL staff assembled for the announcement. “For the wheel to turn smoothly, all the spokes need to be in place. To know where you need to go, you

September 20, 2023 On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 8:47 a.m., Arkansas State Police (ASP)  responded to a shooting that occurred on Interstate 49 Northbound at the 91-mile marker. A motorist driving a white Ford van with ladders was shot three times. The motorist, who was able to pull over onto the shoulder to call 911, reported that shots were fired from a newer model black Dodge Durango with tinted windows. He was transported to Washington County Regional Medical Center for treatment. Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information about the suspect or suspect’s vehicle is urged to

September 15, 2023 Darmel Dashun Batemon Jr., 20, of North Little Rock was taken into custody Wednesday at Arkansas State Police (ASP) Headquarters in connection with a fatality wreck that occurred in Little Rock on April 8th.  Batemon was charged with manslaughter and second-degree battery, both felony offenses. (video of surrender below) Gerald Stuart Allen, 84, of Benton died in the wreck and his wife, Lucille “Lucy” Kiser Allen, was seriously injured. (photo above) ASP investigators say Batemon and another motorist were racing on I-430 North on that Saturday afternoon when the fatality accident occurred near the 4-mile marker.  Batemon

September 15, 2023 Darmel Dashun Batemon Jr., 20, of North Little Rock was taken into custody Wednesday at Arkansas State Police (ASP) Headquarters in connection with a fatality wreck that occurred in Little Rock on April 8th.  Batemon was charged with manslaughter and second-degree battery, both felony offenses. (video of surrender below) Gerald Stuart Allen, 84, of Benton died in the wreck and his wife, Lucille “Lucy” Kiser Allen, was seriously injured. (photo above) ASP investigators say Batemon and another motorist were racing on I-430 North on that Saturday afternoon when the fatality accident occurred near the 4-mile marker.  Batemon

September 1, 2023 Arkansas Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman and Razorbacks football standout David Bazzel are supporting Arkansas State Police by rolling out a new recruitment video in time for Labor Day weekend. “I’m recruiting for Arkansas State Police. They’re Arkansas’ real defensive line,” Coach Pittman says playfully in the video. The social media campaign is part of the ASP’s effort to embrace its heritage and return to the traditions of the Big Hat Law. The ASP is committed to remaining true to the original 1935-era Ranger values by staying focused on the ASP’s modern mission: Protecting the lives and property

August 31, 2023 FORREST CITY — At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, an Arkansas State Police aircraft landed in east Arkansas carrying recaptured inmate Samuel Paul Hartman, 39, Hartman’s wife Misty Hartman, 39, and his mother Linda Annette White, 61. ASP Criminal Investigation Division (CID) investigators interviewed Hartman before returning him to Arkansas Department of Corrections custody. The two women, also interviewed by ASP CID, were transported to the Woodruff County Jail. ASP Troopers were responsible for securely transporting the Hartmans and White from West Virginia to Arkansas. The trio remained in ASP custody until approximately 1

August 20, 2023 At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 19, 2023, Arkansas State Police Troop G took into custody Omar Pena-Romero, 23, after stopping him at the 4-mile marker on Interstate 30 in Texarkana, Arkansas. Pena-Romero was wanted by Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) in connection with the shooting of a Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) employee in downtown Little Rock.  The employee was shot in the parking lot of MEMS Station One on 7th Street around 5:30 p.m. She was transported to a Little Rock hospital with life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition Sunday. After taking the suspect

August 16, 2023 During the Labor Day holiday period, including the end of summertime and the busy holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be working alongside law enforcement in Arkansas to decrease impaired driving. From August 18 through September 4, Arkansas law enforcement will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement campaign. During this time, you’ll see officers working together to take drunk drivers off the roads in support of law enforcement’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities. No matter how you plan

August 14, 2023 On August 8, 2023, Rodger Sorg, 24, was charged with first-degree murder in the August 2, 2023, death of 3-month-old Kyzer Fry. The Mansfield Police Department asked Arkansas State Police to investigate the death after they were called to a home on Huntington Avenue by the child’s mother, Samantha Dotson. Dotson told investigators that she discovered the child unresponsive when she returned home from work. Kyzer and two other children were in Sorg’s care.  Sorg is being held at the Scott County Detention Center. The post ARREST MADE IN SCOTT COUNTY CHILD DEATH appeared first on Arkansas

August 14, 2023 On August 10, 2023, Cheryl Delarosa was sentenced to six years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections and ordered to pay $501,000 in restitution to the City of Dierks by the Howard County Circuit Court.  In June, Delarosa pled guilty to Class B Felony Theft of Property and Class B Felony Abuse of Public Trust.  Delarosa is the former manager of the Dierks Water Department. The 9th West Judicial District Prosecutor asked Arkansas State Police to investigate in November 2020 after an audit revealed a misappropriation of funds in excess of $500,000 from 2015 through 2020.  The