Officials dismiss charge against former sheriff

Cradduck arrested in altercation

BENTONVILLE — Prosecutors Friday dismissed a misdemeanor charge against former Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck.

Cradduck, 47, of Rogers was arrested in August in connection with third-degree assault on a family or household member in connection with a altercation involving his wife.

The charge was dismissed on Friday in Rogers District Court. Prosecutors have up to one year to refile the case.

Bonnie Bridges, a staff attorney for Rogers, said Cradduck’s wife recanted and Cradduck enrolled in counseling to address anger issues. Proof of the counseling was provided, Bridges said.

Rogers police were called Aug. 12 to a domestic disturbance at 925 S. Lafayette St., according to a probable cause affidavit.

Cradduck told a police officer he and his wife, Sabrina, had gotten into an argument about his drinking, but there

had been no physical contact between them, according to the affidavit.

Sabrina Cradduck said she and her husband were arguing in their bedroom and “he pushed her violently to the ground,” the affidavit states.

Cradduck resigned in April 2016 during his second term as sheriff after pleading no contest to misdemeanor tampering. He was placed on unsupervised probation for six months and paid $670 in court costs. A felony tampering charge was dismissed, and the case has been expunged.

Arkansas State Police investigated Cradduck’s hiring of Gabriel Cox to work in the jail and whether Cradduck

ordered payroll records for Cox to be altered to show a hiring date earlier than when he started to work.

Cradduck had said he wanted to help Cox, who was homeless, by hiring him to work in the jail. Cox lived with Cradduck at the time, according to court documents.

Cradduck, who was seeking his third term in office, lost the Republican primary election the month before he resigned.

The Benton County Quorum Court appropriated $80,000 to pay his salary and benefits for the remainder of his term.

In a 4-3 decision last year, the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards allowed Cradduck to keep his certification to be a police officer.

Cradduck