PINE BLUFF -- The 12 Pine Bluff Police Department officers who were given medals of valor for their actions during a standoff that ended with the fatal shooting of a 107-year-old man in 2013 will return their medals.
The officers will turn in their medals at 9:30 a.m. today at City Hall to "meet the will of the city council," according to a news release issued late Wednesday afternoon by spokesman David DeFoor.
The medals were given to officers involved in the Sept. 7, 2013, standoff that ended with police fatally shooting Monroe Isadore at a residence where he rented a room. Isadore fired the pistol at a door after officers arrived on the scene and fired two more shots before members of the department's SWAT team kicked in the door and shot him, according to a police report.
An investigation by special prosecutor Jason Barrett of Little Rock concluded that officers acted within the scope of their job when they returned fire in Isadore's direction and killed him. A federal lawsuit filed in September 2014 against the city, Police Chief Jeff Hubanks and Sgt. Brad Vilches, who shot Isadore, was dismissed in a summary judgment.
The shooting drew national attention and remains a point of contention with many in Pine Bluff, which led City Council members to vote unanimously in July to issue a resolution that all the medals be rescinded.
After officers failed to adhere to the directive, Mayor Debe Hollingsworth said Monday at the City Council meeting that the council had set a deadline of noon Friday for the return of the medals.
Hubanks previously identified those who received medals as officer Anthony Kirkpatrick, former officer Joshua Lamb, Lt. Billy Dixon, Lt. Donna Fratesi, Sgt. Brett Talley, Vilches, Sgt. Jason Howard, Sgt. Marcus Smith, officer Roger Gray, former officer Marquis Blake, officer Phillip Gober and officer Ryan Moheeb.
Hollingsworth said Hubanks called her Wednesday afternoon and informed her of the decision to turn in the medals.
"The recipients decided to turn the medals in early and just get it done," Hollingsworth said.
The Friday deadline was set after the council went into an executive session called by Alderman Thelma Walker during Monday night's meeting to discuss whether Hubanks should be fired.
Walker has been an outspoken critic of how the standoff was handled and led the City Council's efforts to have the medals returned. However, Hollingsworth said Wednesday night that Walker has refused to be the one who accepts the medals this morning.
"In the original email I sent out to Chief Hubanks, it said the medals were supposed to be taken to the chairman of public safety, and that is Thelma Walker," Hollingsworth said. "This afternoon she refused to receive the medals.
"So the person requesting this all along has refused to receive the medals. She just said she didn't want to and I said, well, somebody is going to have to."
Hollingworth said Alderman George Stepps, who serves on the public safety committee, will accept the medals in place of Walker.
Attempts to reach Walker were unsuccessful Wednesday. Hubanks declined to comment on the decision to return the medals.
Hollingsworth said she did not want to be the one who accepted the returned medals.
"I didn't want to be present whenever they turned the medals in because I think that is going to be emotional," she said. "I think that it's going to be a tough thing for anyone, to look them in the eye and watch them give the medals back.
"I think it is going to be an awkward exchange."
Lee Short, an attorney representing the police officers who received the medals, said late Wednesday afternoon that he could not confirm DeFoor's announcement because he had not received confirmation of the decision from his clients. But Short said if the officers returned the medals, it is not because they are legally required to do so.
"Even as this motion has been made by the City Council, there is not legal provisions binding the officers," Short said. "If the officers do, in fact, turn in their medals it will be voluntary, and I can tell you from those who I have talked to that it will not be because they were compelled by the City Council. They will be doing so by their own volition."
State Desk on 08/18/2016