A former Little Rock police officer who was fired after he fatally shot a motorist in February will continue appealing his termination on Sept. 4, a Little Rock city spokesman said.
The second day of Officer Charles Starks' hearing will begin at 8 a.m. on Sept. 4, more than a month after the first day of the hearing came to an abrupt halt when his attorney was injured in a fall, Little Rock Human Resources Director Stacey Witherell said Wednesday.
Starks was fired on May 6 after an internal investigation found he had violated department policy on Feb. 22, when he shot and killed Little Rock resident Bradley Blackshire during a traffic stop.
Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley ruled on April 18 not to prosecute Starks, saying the officer was in fear for his life when Blackshire drove the stolen Nissan Altima toward him in a parking lot. The car struck Starks, injuring the officer’s knee. Blackshire was shot eight times and died at the scene.
In the July 25 hearing before the Civil Service Commission, Starks’ attorney Robert Newcomb argued that the former officer had reacted to a difficult situation by relying on his department training. Witnesses and the attorneys for the police department said Starks violated department policy when he stepped in front of a moving vehicle.
Two assistant chiefs in the hearing testified under oath that Mayor Frank Scott Jr. put “pressure” on the internal investigation and pushed for Starks to be fired.
The hearing was initially scheduled to continue on July 26, but Newcomb was injured in a fall down City Hall’s steps.
The second day of the hearing will be at City Hall.
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to clarify that former Officer Charles Starks' hearing will continue Sept. 4. The Sept. 4 hearing is the second day of a hearing that began July 25.