The civilian spokesman for the Little Rock Police Department sought to shut down a journalist's questions to the police chief about a recent series of stabbings in a heated exchange that was captured on video.
The confrontation led to push-back from the spokesman's supervisor, who was in the room at the time.
Spokesman Mark Edwards got into an argument with a Fox 16 news anchor, Kevin Kelly, as Kelly was in the middle of a sit-down interview with Police Chief Keith Humphrey.
Video of the incident was obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette from the Police Department through an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request.
Based on the angle of the footage, the video seems to have been shot with a cellphone, though it's unclear if the recording was captured by Edwards or someone else.
In the video, Kelly asks the chief about a series of knife attacks the Police Department publicized in late April in the hope of apprehending the assailant. Three of the four attacks were fatal, police said at the time.
Edwards interrupts to prevent Humphrey from responding to the question.
Another police spokesman in the room, Sgt. Eric Barnes, tells Edwards to hold on and allows Kelly to ask the question in an apparent attempt to lower the temperature. At a different juncture, Edwards instructs Humphrey to remove the microphone from his lapel, and the chief hands it to him.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » arkansasonline.com/828interview/]
The incident has been drawn into a bitter conflict within the Police Department over Humphrey's leadership. Humphrey was named chief in 2019 by Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and has faced a string of complaints and lawsuits from police personnel.
In a recent internal memo included in court filings, Assistant Chief Hayward Finks -- one of the chief's opponents in court -- wrote that Humphrey treated certain personnel differently in terms of discipline.
Among other claims, Finks wrote in the June 8 memo that Edwards was issued "documented counseling" after the confrontation with Kelly because a supervisor deemed Edwards' conduct unprofessional.
In the video, Kelly tees up a question about "the serial killer," saying he has to ask about it, before Edwards interrupts to shut down the line of questioning.
Edwards says, "Before we came here, I told you, we are not talking about that. And wait, wait, wait, wait," Edwards adds, as Kelly appears ready to interject. "Just so your people know, part of the problem I have with KARK and Fox, is you sensationalize --"
"I'm talking --" Kelly says.
"No, no, no, no, no -- let me talk," Edwards says. "You sensationalize everything."
"Hang on. Hang on, Mark," Barnes says.
"You can't do this. Mark, you need to back off," Kelly says. He adds moments later, "You put out a public safety alert, and you're telling me that the public -- I'm talking to the chief, not you."
Barnes gets Edwards' attention and tells him, "Let me at least hear his question first. What's your question, Kevin?"
[DOCUMENT: Read the assistant police chief's June memo » arkansasonline.com/828finks/]
Kelly raises the public concern over the stabbings. He says, "The public demands some reassurance on this situation from you, the police chief."
Humphrey replies, "Absolutely. And we will never walk away from anything that we say. When we provide the public with information, we will always continue to provide information to them. We'll never walk away. The city is safe. We're actively looking for this individual. We'll not stop looking for this individual until they are caught."
Kelly asks where the investigation stands. Edwards says, "No. Do not answer that."
Barnes tells Kelly there is an ongoing investigation and adds that officials do not want to stick their foot in their mouth if something changes in the investigation.
Kelly, turning away from the chief to address Edwards and Barnes, asks, "OK, then why can't he say that?" referring to Humphrey.
Accusations and raised voices across the table between Edwards and Kelly follow as Humphrey sits quietly, and then the video cuts off.
A second clip obtained by the Democrat-Gazette shows Edwards approaching Humphrey in an attempt to cut off or possibly terminate the interview.
"No. Do not answer. Take the mic off. Let's take the mic off, and turn the mic off, and then we'll go from there," Edwards says, taking the lapel mic from Humphrey.
Barnes can be heard telling Edwards to go to the hallway. "I'm going ... I'm not upset about anything," Edwards says, adding that he hates when people tune out instructions.
Moments later, Kelly tells Humphrey his intent is never to make him look bad. Humphrey says, "I don't take it that way, Kevin. I mean, you're asking a question that -- you're asking a question that people want to know."
Kelly says, "That's all I'm looking for, you know? And I'm not trying to jeopardize the investigation at all."
INTERNAL CONFLICT
In the memo, Finks wrote that the chief had directed him to write the document in order to identify incidents he was referring to when Finks stated that Humphrey has made exceptions for some employees during their disciplinary process.
In addition to the incident involving Edwards, Finks primarily referred to the investigation of Lt. Michael Ford after an incident where the Maumelle Police Department arrived at Ford's residence in response to gunfire on New Year's Day in 2020.
Finks wrote that Ford was ultimately suspended for two days after the chief lowered the recommended discipline from five days' suspension.
According to Finks' memo, Maj. Casey Clark indicated concerns with Edwards related to "demeanor and work ethic" and said the sentiment was shared by others in the division. Additionally, Finks wrote that there was hesitation to document issues associated with Edwards because of fear of retaliation from the chief.
Finks wrote that the chief seemed to observe the incident with Kelly as it unfolded rather than intervene.
The memo was included in court filings for former Little Rock police officer Charles Starks' lawsuit against the city, police chief and mayor.
Starks was terminated, then reinstated and ultimately chose to resign after fatally shooting Bradley Blackshire in 2019. He is represented in the lawsuit by attorney Robert Newcomb.
Newcomb recently has sought to force the city to turn over records produced during an investigation of Humphrey's treatment of police officers. He submitted Finks' memo to buttress his claims.
Finks is one of the Little Rock police officials who have sued the chief, alleging retaliation. The chief has countersued many of his opponents in federal court, claiming they engaged in a conspiracy to oust him from his job.
The assistant chief along with his brother, Sgt. Duane Finks, and Sgt. Reginald Parks are not represented by Newcomb in their case and have retained other legal counsel.
Finks wrote that the request to produce the memo was a result of an impromptu meeting with Humphrey and Clark on June 3 with regard to the counseling issued to Edwards, who Finks described as "an associate of Chief Humphrey."
"Chief Humphrey entered my office in a somewhat confrontational manner demanding to know why Mr. Edwards had been disciplined and why he (Chief Humphrey) had not been interviewed," Finks wrote.
Finks recounted how Barnes wrote in an evaluation of the incident that Edwards' actions violated the Civilian Code of Conduct. Barnes recommended documented counseling for Edwards, and Clark and Finks concurred once the recommendation was forwarded to them, Finks wrote.
In the June 3 meeting, Finks reported that he tried to explain to Humphrey that the entire incident had been observed firsthand by Edwards' supervisor and was captured on video.
Finks also wrote that once Humphrey turned off the microphone and once Edwards left the room as instructed by Barnes, Humphrey and Kelly continued talking, and Humphrey gave "a brief and appropriate answer to Mr. Kelly's question."
Later in the memo, Finks wrote, "The confrontational manner in which Chief Humphrey approached me regarding this matter is just the latest of his intentional efforts to create a retaliatory and hostile working environment."
He added, "Chief Humphrey has refused to allow me to have input into the selection of personnel assigned to my bureau yet he holds me responsible for producing a positive work product."
Finks went on to list seven positions for which he claimed Humphrey gave him no input on the employee's selection.
In response to detailed questions sent by email about the argument and Finks' memo, mayoral spokeswoman Stephanie Jackson wrote that the city "does not comment on the personnel records of employees nor pending/ongoing litigation."
The questions were sent to Jackson as well as Edwards, Humphrey and others.
When reached by phone Friday morning, Edwards deferred the questions to Barnes. He did not answer when asked if he was given counseling. When reached by phone, Barnes declined to comment and referred to the statement from Jackson.
The Police Department declined to release records pertaining to any documented counseling issued to Edwards. "Mr. Edwards was not suspended or terminated, so the records are not releasable under FOIA 25-19-105 (c)(1). There are no public records that meets this request," a police official wrote in an email.
The department at first denied a separate request for audiovisual material related to the incident, arguing that the material "was used in an investigation of Mr. Edwards," before ultimately providing the videos.
Kelly did not respond to an email requesting comment. Greg Yarbrough, managing editor for Fox 16 and KARK, when reached by phone deferred to Nexstar Media Group's vice president and general manager for Little Rock, Kyle King.
King did not respond to an email.
Personnel records obtained by the Democrat-Gazette show Edwards' legal name is Mark C. Nelson, according to a federal employment authorization form. He was hired full time in October 2020 as a police media relations specialist with his pay rate set at $57,000.
From 2003 to 2014, Edwards worked as a sports reporter and anchor for Little Rock news station KTHV, according to a copy of his resume. From 2014 to 2019, he worked as an anchor in Waypoint Media's Little Rock news hub.