A Little Rock police officer who fatally shot a motorist suspected of driving a stolen car was relieved of his police duties, department officials confirmed Wednesday as the city’s mayor said video of the stop will be released “as soon as possible.”
Police said previously that officer Charles Starks fired at the driver, 30-year-old Bradley Blackshire, when Blackshire hit the officer with a car during a Friday morning traffic stop on 12th Street and Rodney Parham Road.
The 31-year-old officer was placed on paid administrative leave shortly after. But on Tuesday he was relieved of duty and surrendered his gun and badge. Starks remained on the city's payroll and is still able to return as a full-time police officer.
Police spokesman Eric Barnes said Wednesday that the decision came from the police administration.
The department declined to comment further on the decision.
The relief of duty designation makes Starks ineligible to perform any police work that he otherwise could have while on administrative leave. Disciplinary records obtained by the Democrat-Gazette show Starks has had multiple prior complaints resulting in disciplinary measures and suspensions since his 2013 hiring.
Barnes said the move to relieve an officer of duty isn’t always standard, "but that's the route that this investigation is taking."
Investigations following an officer's use of force typically see them continue to perform certain police work, but they're often pulled from their regular duties.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. on Wednesday declined to comment on the decision to pull Starks’ police credentials or on what he saw while watching dash camera video of the shooting.
He said there are plans to release the video, but he stopped short of offering a timeline.
"It will be as soon as possible, but we're trying to complete the investigation,” he said.
Scott assured Blackshire's family on Sunday that he'll oversee parts of the review, vowing that it will be "fully and fairly investigated."
The shooting has prompted some calls for the swift disclosure of video capturing what happened.
Cities across the country have at times released videos of police shootings ahead of a final investigation, often to quell unrest and other social pressures, as well as to dispel rumors.
North Little Rock released dash camera video of the deadly police shooting of 17-year-old Charles Smith Jr. last year following swirling rumors. Police said at the time that Smith fired a gun during a scuffle with officers before they shot him.
Three North Little Rock officers were cleared of any wrongdoing after a prosecutor deemed their use of force was justified.
Acting Police Chief Wayne Bewley has said Starks was likely the only person to fire a gun during the latest police shooting. Starks was released from the hospital after being treated for his injuries that same evening.
Blackshire died at the scene. A 20-year-old woman who was in the car with him wasn’t injured. Investigators also found a stray bullet that hit a vehicle.
Ronnie Morgan, president of the the Fraternal Order of Police, said the union didn’t have any comment on the decision to pull Starks’ gun and badge. He said he trusts the process that’s been used for years in investigating officers’ use of force.
“We’re committing to let the process work itself through,” Morgan said.
In a later statement, the union said it’s backing Starks, saying that he deserves the same due process afforded to others.
“The FOP regrets the loss of life but respectfully requests everyone withhold judgment until the investigation is complete," it said.
Ultimately, the finding of the ongoing investigation into the shooting will be sent to the Little Rock prosecuting attorney’s office to review for possible criminal charges.
Disciplinary records show Starks has been reprimanded 10 times since 2015, resulting in at least 25 days of suspensions.
The heavily redacted reports don’t detail reasons for a majority of the actions because they didn’t result in a demotion or suspension, a police official said.
Past coverage shows Starks hit a motorist while responding to a 2015 robbery call near the city’s west side.
The police department said it reviewed the crash to determine if Starks was speeding. Discipline records show Starks was reprimanded shortly after the crash, but the reasons weren’t available.
In 2016, Starks was suspended for 10 days without pay after getting into a fight at a movie theater and failing to identify himself as a police officer, according to a suspension letter.
Efforts to reach Starks by phone on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
CORRECTION: A Little Rock Police Department spokesman said the decision to relieve Officer Charles Starks of his duties came from the police administration. An earlier version of this story misstated where the decision originated.