Former Arkansas Deputies Charged With Federal Civil Rights Violations Over Violent Arrest

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two former Arkansas deputies with civil rights violations in connection with the violent and widely criticized August 2021 arrest of Randal Worcester.

Per the indictment, available here, Levi White and Zackary King—both formerly of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department—both “willfully deprived” Worcester of his constitutional right to be “free from unreasonable seizures, which includes the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer.”

White, the indictment states, hit Worcester “multiple times” while he was on the ground. King also struck Worcester multiple times, with the violent actions of both deputies causing injuries to the victim.

According to the Justice Department, each former deputy faces a maximum 10-year sentence if convicted on the excessive force charges. Additionally, both men face the possibility of three years of supervised released and a fine as high as $250,000.

Complex has reached out to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department for comment. This story may be updated.

On the same day as footage of the arrest started making the rounds last August, the Arkansas State Police announced it had opened an investigation into the actions of the two now-former deputies and a Mulberry police officer. Initially, Worcester was hit with several charges including resisting arrest and second-degree battery. In December, he pleaded not guilty.

As previously reported, Worcester filed a federal lawsuit over the arrest back in September. The suit requested a jury trial and alleged that involved officers had at “no point” during the arrest attempted to utilize de-escalation tactics.