Great Twitter thread from KATV’s Shelby Rose about Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey’s appearance before a state legislative panel seemingly anxious to fault police for their work in the opening days of George Floyd demonstrations when property was damaged, including graffiti on the Capitol.
He defended his department’s work.
Capitol Police Chief Darren Hedden pointed the finger at the Little Rock police for the Capitol being “desecrated.” He said he could get no help from them. And he also disputed the claims by Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and Humphrey that outside forces were responsible for property damage.
We’ll never know for sure about that, because no arrests were made.
Some legislators weren’t happy that Hedden referred to Humphrey as “that man.”
Humphrey responded that Hedden hadn’t been wholly truthful about events May 30 and commented:
To have a peer sit here and call me ‘that man’ and say that he doesn’t trust me is insulting, it is borderline xenophobic, it is disrespectful…and it is disheartening.
This was a key question that led to business community unhappiness and likely contributed to the massive show of state force, including National Guard, that came to be dedicated to demonstrations.
Senator Jason Rapert is questioning Humphrey why they didn’t use necessary force to protect property. Humphrey says his main priority was not property, but to protect the life of his officers and to disperse the crowd #ARNews pic.twitter.com/W0ibNWrm9Z
— Shelby Rose (@KATVShelby) June 15, 2020
Chairman Stubblefield follows up by sternly asking Humphrey why no arrests were made May 30th (besides the suspect who damaged Target). Humphrey fires back saying “It was a fluid situation, sir.” and he adds that they were not the only agency present that night #ARNews
— Shelby Rose (@KATVShelby) June 15, 2020
Humphrey was unapologetic.
LRPD Chief Humphrey: “If we would’ve used deadly force based on property damage, this city would have burned…I did not want this city to burn, people to get hurt, officers to die, based on property. And I won’t apologize for that.” #ARNews
— Shelby Rose (@KATVShelby) June 15, 2020
The entirety of the meeting, which is still underway, when completed, can be viewed at this link.
Among other tidbits, Humphrey said without his knowledge, Assistant Chief Hayward Finks had officers vacate the 12th precinct after the LRPD heard about a demonstration there. He said he still does not know why Finks made that call.
Chris Burks, the lawyer who’s representing police employees including Finks in several lawsuits against Humphrey, testified. He said the testimony today was disappointing, an “ego fest” between two chiefs.
Chairman Gary Stubblefield gaveled Sen. Joyce Elliott out of order when she tried, as she had earlier, to turn the discussion to race relations. I couldn’t hear her questions but concluded she was raising race relations as she and Rep. Vivian Flowers had earlier. Stubblefield wouldn’t allow it. The mayor’s aide, Charles Blake, said Elliott wanted to know why Burks was testifying. Good question.