Warrant issued for HSPD officer
A warrant on a felony battery charge and misdemeanor interference charge was issued Wednesday for a Hot Springs police officer stemming from an alleged confrontation at his home with a Garland County sheriff’s deputy in April.
Shawn C. Stillian, 50, who lists an address in northern Garland County, is being charged with a felony count of second-degree battery, punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of interference with a law enforcement officer, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Stillian had not been arrested as of presstime Thursday night.
A gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case and preventing any of the law enforcement agencies involved from commenting was issued Wednesday by Garland County Circuit Court Judge John Homer Wright. The charges were filed directly to circuit court on Wednesday. A special prosecutor, David Jason Barrett, of Little Rock, was appointed.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on April 22, shortly before noon, Karla Stillian called the sheriff’s department regarding an unknown man on the property of the Stillians’ residence on Wildflower Court.
Deputy Candice Stacks responded to the scene and alleges that Shawn Stillian arrived while she was there and “became belligerent.” She alleges he grabbed her by the arm at one point and squeezed it in an aggressive manner stating, “Don’t (expletive) touch me and don’t put your hands on me.”
Stacks described the squeeze as “firm and painful.” She was able to radio for help and multiple units responded to assist. The affidavit notes Stacks sustained bruising to her arm, which was photographed.
Investigators noted there was a doorbell camera mounted at the front of the residence and on April 27, a search warrant was issued to obtain the footage from the morning of the incident.
The video allegedly shows a male, later identified as Lance Pace, standing at the front door and walking around the residence. Stacks arrived and spoke to Pace. Stillian then arrived in a white pickup truck and, after exiting the truck, reportedly began yelling “in the direction of Deputy Stacks and Pace.”
Stillian approached Stacks and Pace at the front of the residence and Stacks placed “an open palm toward Shawn,” the affidavit said. Shawn Stillian is visible on the video continuing forward, causing Stacks to move backward. Stillian can reportedly be seen grabbing Stacks by the arm to “move it away from him.”
Stillian can be heard saying “Don’t touch me” in the video. At that point, Karla Stillian stepped in between Stacks and Shawn Stillian “in an attempt to calm Shawn down.” The affidavit notes that “briefly afterward Shawn appears to calm down.”