Officer shooting, warrants on new police chief’s mind
Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey said Thursday that he knows there could be more civil disobedience as people protest the officer-involved shooting of Bradley Blackshire, but he asked that those protests remain nonviolent.
Humphrey’s first news conference as the city’s police chief covered a lot of hot-button local issues, from no-knock warrants to body cameras to a new citizen review board at the Police Department.
His primary topic, however, was the recent unrest surrounding the Feb. 22 death of Blackshire, who was shot by a Little Rock police officer during a traffic stop.
Humphrey said he knows that people will continue to protest the shooting, in which officer Charles Starks — since relieved of duty — fired his department-issued firearm at least 15 times, killing the 30-year-old Blackshire. Humphrey said he draws a line at protesters damaging property or endangering the lives of others.
“We really respect the rights of our citizens to protest,” he said. “And to add onto that … we understand there is going to be civil disobedience. However, what we don’t want is civil unrest. We want all First Amendment protests to be civil.”
Humphrey said he understood some of people’s frustrations with the Blackshire case and reiterated that the investigation into that shooting is twofold. The internal investigation to determine if Starks violated any department policy during the incident and the criminal investigation are ongoing, he said.
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “The lengths of the investi
gations are frustrating … but I can assure you when the final outcome [is known], you’ll understand why these processes take so long. I just want the citizens to be patient with us.”
Humphrey said that after speaking with demonstrators during a rally Tuesday that shut down a major intersection in downtown Little Rock, “there is no indication” that the people organizing the Blackshire protests intend to cause civil unrest or incite violence.
When asked whether blocking an intersection constituted the endangerment of the lives of others, Humphrey said his officers will take action if demonstrators block intersections for extended amounts of time and do not heed officers’ warnings.
“I think if they are hindering the passage of others, we can only allow that for a certain amount of time,” Humphrey said Thursday. “We try to give them as much time as possible, but at some point you have to take action.”
Humphrey said the potential for danger in the instance of protesters blocking the street is not only that drivers could be prevented from going home or to work, but also that an incident of road rage could harm protesters.
“There could be people driving who don’t like what protesters are doing,” Humphrey said. “We have to take action for [demonstrators’] safety, too. The first step is always just officer presence, and we hope we never have to move past that.”
Humphrey said after speaking with the protesters Tuesday that he did not believe the demonstrations would become violent.
In the protest Tuesday, demonstrators demanded a citizen review board for the Police Department and body cameras for all officers. Humphrey addressed both topics in the news conference.
Humphrey said he and Mayor Frank Scott Jr. intended to meet “in the very near future” with the U.S. Department of Justice to establish a citizen advisory board.
“It’s important for the community to understand that we want to develop the best review policy or advisory policy for the city of Little Rock,” he said. “We do not want to use a canned program.”
Scott announced that the city had issued a request for proposals from vendors of body-worn cameras on April 1, and Humphrey said he hopes to get back bids soon.
“As you know, it takes time. It’s nothing we can do overnight,” Humphrey said. “It’s very important for us to establish a policy first and to establish a process in which our officers can test whatever body cameras we decide to go with.”
Humphrey said he knows many people are interested in the use of no-knock warrants, an issue that received national attention and prompted a lawsuit that has since been dropped. Humphrey said he is reviewing all of the department’s policies, including those that dictate such warrants.
“I want to assure the citizens of the community that as police chief, it’s my responsibility to review all policies and procedures in our department,” he said. “I’m reviewing those … that’s important to me.”