Former Waldron Police Officer Charged with Three Counts of Battery; Scott County Sheriff Charged as Accomplice

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On Friday, September 30, an appointed special prosecutor filed charges in Scott County against former Waldron Police Officer Omar Gonzalez and Scott County Sheriff Randy Shores.

Charges stem from an investigation into an incident involving the Waldron Police Department and a vehicle pursuit, which started in Huntington and ended in Scott County on February 16, 2022.

–See related story

Gonzalez has been charged with three counts of third-degree battery, class A misdemeanors, and Shores with two counts of accomplice to battery in the third degree.

-Gonzalez: misdemeanor information, affidavit for warrant
-Shores: arrest warrant, affidavit for warrant of arrest, misdemeanor information

Emily White was appointed as a special prosecutor for the 15th Judicial District, which includes Scott County on Wednesday, June 29.

In Re Special Investigation Scott County Use of Force Incident 2/16/2022:
Today, the State of Arkansas initiated criminal charges against former Waldron Police Officer, Omar Gonzalez and Scott County Sheriff Randy Shores, resulting from an incident in Scott County on February 16, 2022. Multiple local law enforcement agencies were involved in the incident, which lead to the ultimate detainment and arrest of Mr. Robert Deer. Mr. Deer sustained physical injury as a result of his interaction with law enforcement on this date. The probable cause affidavits and charging documents are filed of record with the Scott County Circuit Court. In addition to the filed documents, I am releasing body cam footage from Huntington Police Department and Mansfield Police Department. Both Gonzalez and Shores remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Beyond the parameters of this statement, the charging documents, and the videos, I will refrain from further comment as this case progresses through the court system. Continued appreciation to the Arkansas State Police for their diligent support during the remainder of this open criminal investigation.
-Emily White, Special Prosecutor

Gonzalez turned himself in on Friday, and per Arkansas law, the Coroner, Dana Anderson, placed Shores under arrest. Both were released of their own recognizance after being booked.

Arkansas classifies third-degree battery as a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The law treats the charge of an accomplice equally so that the accomplice can be prosecuted in the same manner as the actual perpetrator.

Waldron Police Chief Jeremy Hunt issued the following press release: On February 17th I was contacted by Wayne Robb of the Mansfield Police Department concerning body cam footage from an arrest the prior night. Robb advised that I would want to review the footage as he felt there were some concerns regarding use of force. The following morning I retrieved the video and reviewed it back at my office. After watching the video, I contacted Mark Johnson, who serves as both our City Attorney and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. I advised Mark of what I had seen on the video and concerns that I had, arrangements were then made to get him a copy of the video that day. The video was also given to Tom Tatum, who is the PA for the 15th Judicial District, who requested Agents with the Arkansas State Police do the investigation. That same day Sgt. Omar Gonzalez was placed on Administrative Leave pending the outcome of the investigation, as per Waldron Police Department Policy.
On April 26th, I was notified by SA John Rhone that the case had been turned over to the Prosecutor’s Office, who then requested a Special Prosecutor be appointed. On May 2, 2022, Sgt. Omar Gonzalez resigned his position with the Waldron Police Department, that same day paperwork was sent to the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training to decertify Sgt. Gonzalez.
On September 28th, I was notified of the outcome of the investigation and that charges were to be filed against Gonzalez.
Since February, the Waldron Police Department has procured body cameras and tasers. We have instituted a mandatory camera policy and will also be retraining each officer in Response to Resistance Techniques, along with requiring refresher training each year on Use of Force.
-Jeremy Hunt, Chief of Police
Waldron Police Department

Robert Deer (photo courtesy of the office of the special prosecutor)

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement:
On February 16th 2022 Deputies of our agency assisted with a pursuit that originated in Sebastian County. Sheriff Randy Shores also responded and assisted with that pursuit. In the days following the pursuit it was brought to our attention that inappropriate conduct may have taken place during the arrest of the suspect in that pursuit. We subsequently conducted an internal review of the actions taken by our personnel who participated in the response to that pursuit. We also cooperated fully with the independent investigation conducted by the Arkansas State Police. Our review determined that our Deputies conducted themselves within our policy and within Arkansas state law. We will not be making any statements regarding the actions of personnel of other agencies. Our Deputies behaved appropriately and within the scope of their duties. They were not yet present on scene when much of the incident took place and our review concluded that, partially due to that lack of context and partially due to the short time period during which the incident took place, they did not have a realistic opportunity to intervene.
The prosecutor assigned to this incident has decided to charge Sheriff Shores with a misdemeanor as an accomplice to a 3rd Degree Battery charge that she has filed against a former Waldron Police Department Officer. It is our understanding that this charge has been filed simply because Sheriff Shores, as the head Law Enforcement Officer in the county, was present on scene at the end of the incident. He is not alleged to have taken any action that violated the law. Sheriff Shores has stated (and stated to the ASP CID Agents who investigated this incident) that he did not witness the actions that are the basis for the 3rd Degree Battery charge, and therefore was never in a position to intervene.
On September 30th 2022 Sheriff Shores was presented with the appropriate documents regarding that misdemeanor and complied with all procedures required by law. For the brief time required to process those documents and procedures the Scott County Coroner, Dana Anderson, took responsibility for the operation of the Scott County Detention Center, as is required by Arkansas State law.
We at the Scott County Sheriff’s Department are committed to conducting ourselves within the law, and within the Constitutions of the State of Arkansas and the United States of America. We believe in transparency, accountability, and duty. While we are disappointed in the decision made by this prosecuting attorney regarding Sheriff Shores, we remain dedicated to our system of justice, and trust in our court system as this issue is addressed. We will continue to work closely with the Arkansas State Police and the Waldron Police Department, and we will continue to serve the People of Scott County to the best of our abilities.