CRAWFORD COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Two others have come forward about their violent encounters with one of the Arkansas deputies seen on video beating a man during his arrest. Both claim these have happened within the last month.
Attorneys for Randal Worcester, who was the man in the video being arrested by Crawford County deputies Levi White and Zack Taylor and Mulberry Police Officer Thell Riddle, held a press conference days after the video was released. The Department of Justice has now launched a civil rights investigation into the arrest.
In the video, the officers are seen holding Worcester down on the ground, kneeling on him and one deputy in particular, identified as deputy White, slamming his face on the ground.
Carrie Jernigan and David Powell are representing Worcester along with Tammy Nelson and Teddy Wallace, who said they allegedly had separate, violent encounters with deputy White.
Jernigan says in July of 2022 Teddy Wallace of Rudy was tased four times and allegedly beaten with a baton during an arrest in Crawford County. Wallace says the deputies beat him in the head, similar to the attack on Worcester.
“I would resist too if I was tased,” Wallace said during the press conference.
He says he was hit in the head too many times to count and was dragged out of his yard and taken to jail. Jernigan says the officer made the decision not to send Wallace to the hospital, but EMS was called to the jail to check his injuries.
Wallace says his head was split open and he was covered in bruises and scratches. He says without a doubt that it was deputy White who beat him during the arrest.
Tammy Nelson, who also lives in Rudy, says that on Aug. 14, deputy White responded to her home for a "civil matter."
She says she videoed their interaction for “protection” and that White grabbed her by her right arm, swung her around and threw her phone to the ground. He then allegedly wrapped his arm around her neck, dropped her to the ground and kneed her in the side.
Nelson says even when her nightgown rose up, leaving her “half-naked,” White continued to “smash her face” into the ground as she tried to cover herself.
"I felt disrespected and violated as he was on top of me..." Nelson said, wiping away tears. He then reportedly "yanked" her up to her feet while she continued to White what she was being arrested for. She says he did not respond.
Nelson says she was put into the back seat of his patrol vehicle and told she has the right to remain silent. She says he left her in the car with no AC and the windows up.
She was held for 4-5 hours before being booked on harassment and obstruction of operation charges.
Nelson says that deputies told her family that she was not being arrested and was just "being held at their facility."
She says Sheriff Jimmy Damante allegedly knew nothing about the incident leading to her being held at the jail. He allegedly told her that she was "resisting."
"He dragged me so fast that even if I wanted to, there was no time to resist," Nelson said.
The investigation into Worcester's case includes the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas, the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the FBI in Little Rock.
All three officers have been placed on paid administrative leave and are being investigated by the Arkansas State Police for their use of force in Worcester's arrest.
There is no word yet on whether or not Nelson and Wallace will pursue charges.
5NEWS has reached out to White's attorney about these new allegations, who said they did not have time for an interview. Adding that new allegations don’t concern them saying “people come out of the woodworks with allegations.”
We'll continue to bring you updates as soon as we get more information.
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