Judge: Police suit needs more proof

LITTLE ROCK — The lawsuit against Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey by now former Assistant Chief Alice Fulk will be dismissed for lack of evidence unless Fulk, who just left the department to take over the state Capitol police force, can provide more proof of her claims that Humphrey was out to get her.

Fulk’s lawyer said Friday that she can and she will.

As provided for by court rules, Fulk will get a chance to keep the litigation alive. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Alice Gray has given her 10 days to add to the lawsuit before it’s dismissed. Fulk’s attorney Chris Burks said he plans to beat that deadline with evidence that the chief has continued to pursue a vendetta against Fulks since she and a police lieutenant sued him five months ago.

The judge’s ruling comes about a week after she heard arguments from both sides in a three-hour hearing. Attorneys for the city and Humphrey said the suit, which alleges the chief violated the Arkansas Whistle-Blower Act and the state Civil Rights Act, has no merit.

Fulk says she’s been targeted by Humphrey since she angered him by contradicting him about an internal investigation into a fatal police shooting last year. Fulk testified at public proceedings that the investigation was flawed, having been unnecessarily rushed at Humphrey’s command.

Cristina Plummer, the lieutenant, says Humphrey also went after her to get to Fulk. Humphrey subjected them to angry tirades, and purposely acted to damage their careers and earning capacity, according to their suit. Two other lawsuits making similar allegations against Humphrey have been filed by four other officers, including another assistant chief.

Earlier this week, Humphrey filed a federal lawsuit against his critics among the police ranks and others, claiming to be a victim of a conspiracy seeking to oust him and led by the Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police.

Fulk is among the defendants as is Charles Starks, whose February 2019 fatal shooting of car-theft suspect Bradley Blackshire was the precipitating event for the Police Department’s ongoing schism.

Humphrey fired Starks, over the recommendations of Starks’ supervisors, for violating police procedure.