LITTLE ROCK -- The Fraternal Order of Police on Thursday called for Mayor Frank Scott Jr. to investigate Police Chief Keith Humphrey after a pair of lawsuits were filed against him.
Humphrey is accused of retaliation and discrimination against officers, including two assistant chiefs, over testimony about an internal investigation into a fatal police shooting, according to the lawsuits filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court in the past week.
The union, in its three paragraph statement, said the nature of allegations made against the chief merited an investigation by the mayor, who hired Humphrey last year.
"The Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police vehemently condemns retaliatory actions taken by management against our members, and we will not allow it to occur without a fight," the statement reads. "The allegations made against Chief Humphrey are very serious in nature, and they should be heard in a court of law."
Ronnie Morgan, president of the Fraternal Order of Police chapter, said the statement was issued because of numerous calls from union members to executive board members requesting something more official than a Facebook post made Wednesday. The message on the union's Facebook page said the matters brought up in the lawsuits were "valid labor issues."
The lawsuits, the first filed by Assistant Chief Hayward Finks and the second by Assistant Chief Alice Fulk, contend that the chief has subjected them to a vendetta because they made him look bad during the Civil Service Commission review of Humphrey's decision to fire patrolman Charles Starks last year.
Humphrey fired Starks for violating police procedure during a confrontation with a car-thief suspect, Bradley Blackshire, in February 2019. Starks shot and killed Blackshire but was cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
Appealing his termination, Starks was reinstated under a court order, but with reduced wages, in January by a judge who determined that Starks broke the rules but found that the punishment was too severe.
In their lawsuits, Finks and Fulk accused Humphrey of pursuing retaliation against them almost immediately after their Civil Service Commission testimony. The two testified that the internal investigation into Starks' actions was rushed by the chief under pressure from the mayor.
Humphrey declined comment, referring questions to the city administration. Stephanie Jackson, Scott's spokesman, said the mayor would not comment on pending litigation.
"There's a pattern of retaliation from the chief as a result of the two assistant chiefs testifying against him," said Chris Burks, who filed the two lawsuits. "It's ... critical that police officers and witnesses are allowed to tell the truth in court," Burks said. "Witnesses have to be protected when they testify."
Finks is joined in his lawsuit by his brother, police Sgt. Duane Finks, and Sgt. Reginald Parks. The two contend they were demoted by Humphrey for no reason.
Fulk is joined in her lawsuit by Lt. Christina Plummer. They contend the chief has gone after Fulk's supporters in the department.
Fink and Fulk were both finalists for the chief's job when Humphrey was hired last year.
Information for this article was contributed by John Lynch of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
NW News on 05/03/2020