Stephan Ferry, a Conway resident who has been raising money for a potential lawsuit against Sen. Jason Rapert to challenge his blocking people from social media accounts, has been accused of filing a false police report alleging he’d been threatened by Rapert.
The police report indicates the police had concluded that
I want to put you on notice that if you continue to harass and intimidate and send threatening messages to me via email, social media or contact my office then I will file a police report with law enforcement and they can investigate this matter further sir.
The police earlier recorded Ferry in a complaint to them about Rapert threats. At one point, according to the report, Ferry quoted Rapert as saying, “I’m sending people
The police
Be on notice: Do not call, do not attempt to reach me in any manner, do not come near my home, my business, do not come anywhere near me anywhere in this community sir. And I’m gonna turn you in right now and I’ll let them investigate the matter.
The report, by Officer Thomas Cole, said the statement Ferry made was false, he knew it was false and his statement that he didn’t know what Rapert had meant by all his statements “lacks any credibility.”
The report said it would be forwarded to the city attorney for possible filing of a charge of filing a false police report. A Conway police spokesman said Conway City Attorney Chuck Clawson received the information and authorized today the charge of filing a false report of criminal wrongdoing, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. Ferry was released this morning after posting a $1,195 bond. He was ordered to have no contact with Rapert. So much for redress of government grievances with the senator.
He later posted this message on the Facebook page Arkansans Against Jason Rapert:
I was just arrested by Conway Police Department, and I believe this is coordinated retaliation for speaking out against the bully of Bigelow. I have paid the bond, and want you all to know, no matter how much power mad Stanley thinks he has, I will not be silenced. I will not share any details of my arrest at the moment, other than I am 100% innocent of the charges against me.Justice shall prevail. I will not be silenced.
Ferry told me yesterday his conversation came when
Note: Police records show Ferry’s first name as Stephane, but he’s been using the spelling Stephan in communications with me.
Here’s the full police report.
Here also here is the warrant request packet prepared by the city attorney.
UPDATE: Ferry added in a text message:
My perception of what he told me was clearly a threat. I did not have my phone with me to reference what he exactly said. Then I discovered that I did not have the full recording, and when I was told that he did, and was submitting it to Det Cole, I asked for it. Cole declined, said I could come listen to it if I wanted to. I began to suspect something fishy, so I filed that FOIA
He filed the FOI Wednesday. The criminal charge against him followed.
Rapert has not responded to my request for comment.