NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Thursday, June 27, Officer Jon Crowder with the North Little Rock Police Department was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery for his actions stemming from a call for service that occurred August 27, 2018, according to the department.
According to an arrest affidavit, during this interaction and arrest, Officer Crowder utilized a level of force which resulted in injuries to a subject who was arrested on felony charges.
While conducting his law enforcement duties, Crowder responded to the SuperStay Motel at on West Pershing Boulevard to assist another officer on a call.
The initial responding officer stated over the radio a male suspect involved in the incident was attempting to leave in a blue car.
The dash cam video from Crowder's patrol car shows him conducting a traffic stop on a blue vehicle at the entrance of West Pershing location. Crowder had the male suspect step out of the vehicle and move to the rear of the car. Crowder then placed the suspect's hands behind his back, with the assistance of another responding officer, and was able to place him in handcuffs.
During the course of the arrest, the dash camera video shows Crowder lift the man's arms up behind his back, pinning his torso to the car. Crowder then transported the man to the North Little Rock Police Department Detective Division.
While at the station, the suspect complained of a pain in his arms and was transported by another officer to Baptist Health Spring Hill Emergency Room where he was diagnosed as having mildly displaced features of the ulna bone in both elbow joints.
After this encounter, a Subject Control file was created per departmental policy and reviewed by supervisory personnel. It was determined that policy violations occurred and resulted in disciplinary action being taken against Crowder.
Crowder was suspended for a period of 30 days starting on October 25, 2018.
Upon reviewing the initial felony case file for the arrested subject, the Pulaski County Prosecutors Office found that the officer’s actions while affecting the arrest rose to a criminal level. The Office of the Chief of Police was notified that the Pulaski County Prosecutor would be seeking charges against the officer.
Upon learning this information, Crowder was immediately removed from patrol and placed on modified duty. A criminal investigation was initiated and an affidavit was completed and submitted to the Pulaski County Prosecutor on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at which time, an arrest warrant was issued for misdemeanor Battery 3rd.
The warrant has since been served. Crowder was charged through the Pulaski County District Court.
Chief Mike Davis has provided the following statement regarding the incident:
“Protecting the community is at the core of what we do. Ensuring our officers undergo extensive training that emphasizes the need to understand and appreciate their authority and limitations is paramount to ensure we fulfill our mission. We serve at the will of our citizens and we are accountable to our community. Giving officers the authority to use reasonable force and protect the public requires monitoring, evaluation and careful balancing of all interest. As always, we realize that to be effective in an ever-changing world, training and education must continue throughout an officer’s career."