The Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has released details of an investigation that led to the arrest of a Mansfield Police Department officer accused of pawning firearms.
According to the investigative report, the Mansfield Police Department contacted SCSO on October 22, 2025, to report the theft of two handguns—a Ruger P91DC .40 caliber pistol and a Walther PK380 pistol—that were missing from a file cabinet inside Chief Wyatt McIntyre’s office. The firearms were believed to have been stolen on October 17.
A follow-up check with Pioneer Pawn & Gun, located on Highway 71 South in Fort Smith, revealed both firearms had been pawned the same day by Mansfield Police Officer Stephen Eric Townley, 42, of Greenwood. Investigators confirmed the transaction through Leads Online, a system used by law enforcement to track pawned items. Pawn shop records indicated Townley received $400 for the two firearms.
During a recorded interview with SCSO Sgt. Brent Smith, Townley admitted to taking and pawning the guns, saying he was in financial distress after his electricity had been shut off. He told investigators he planned to retrieve the firearms before anyone noticed they were missing and expressed remorse, saying, “I’m facing the repercussions of my actions. I messed up.”
Further investigation determined that before pawning the guns, Townley contacted dispatch to check the serial numbers through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), an act which violated Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) policies prohibiting personal use of protected law enforcement data.
On October 29, 2025, Townley surrendered himself to the Sebastian County Detention Center (SCADC), where he was booked at 2:23 p.m. on three felony charges:
- Theft by Receiving – Firearm (two counts)
- Release or Disclosure of Information (ACIC)
Townley was released on $2,500 legally sufficient bond on Wednesday, October 29, at 3:59 p.m. Townley’s first court appearance is scheduled for November 5, 2025, at 9 a.m. in Sebastian County Circuit Court in Fort Smith.
