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Two lawmakers fired after being arrested are shown in video beating and kneeling on a man.Arkansas

two Arkansas Authorities said on Thursday that a lawmaker caught in a video of him violently arresting a suspect outside a convenience store in August had been fired.

Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante told Fort Smith television station KHBS that Levi White and Zachary King were fired, but did not elaborate on the decision.

White, King, and Mulberry Police Officer Sel Riddle arrested 27-year-old Randall Wooster outside a convenience store in the small town of Mulberry, about 140 miles (225 km) northwest of Little Rock, near the Oklahoma border. An eyewitness recorded what happened. .

A lawyer for the delegate did not immediately respond to a message Thursday afternoon.

Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said Riddle remains on leave.

Bystander video of the Aug. 21 arrest shows one of the MPs repeatedly punching Worcester in the head and kneeling before grabbing him by the hair and slamming him onto the pavement. Another officer was holding Worcester as it happened, but a third officer repeatedly forced him to his knees.

Damante says Worcester is under investigation for threatening a clerk at a convenience store in the nearby small town of Alma. According to Damante, Worcester tackled one of his deputies and hit him on the head before arresting him. The lieutenant had a concussion, Damante said.

White has been a Crawford County delegate since January 10. King has been Crawford’s delegate since July 31, 2019. Prior to that, he worked as a county civilian jailer for a year and a half.

The three officers were suspended after videos of their arrests circulated on social media, and state and federal authorities launched an investigation. State police closed an investigation last month, and the special counsel has not announced whether the three will be charged.

Wooster filed a federal lawsuit against police officers and local officials, alleging that they violated his constitutional rights.

A lawyer for Wooster called the dismissal “a step in the right direction.”

Attorney Adam Rose said: “Bringing justice to Randall and all of Crawford County is just one step on a very long road.

After being treated in hospital, Wooster was jailed on charges including second-degree assault and resisting arrest. He was released the next day on a bond of $15,000. Wooster’s lawsuit said he suffered permanent injuries from his arrest and required ongoing medical attention.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/06/arkansas-deputies-fired-violent-arrest Two lawmakers fired after being arrested are shown in video beating and kneeling on a man.Arkansas

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