Officials await file on ex-police chief

Little Rock department’s investigation seeking papers from state police probe

LITTLE ROCK — An internal investigation related to former Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey firing his gun at a suspect on Dec. 31, 2021, remains unfinished as police officials await a file from another law enforcement agency, according to the new Little Rock police chief.

Responding to questions via email recently, Little Rock Police Chief Heath Helton said that after speaking with the Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit, he “was told that we are still waiting on the Arkansas State Police to release their investigation. Once that is done, then we can proceed with our Administrative Investigation.”

When asked if the internal investigation was not already underway, in a follow- up email, Helton wrote, “Our Administrative Investigation (i.e. Internal Investigation) is underway, but will require the file from [the Arkansas State Police] in order for our investigator to complete the investigation process.”

Humphrey, a 2019 appointee of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., resigned his post last May.

On Feb. 1, the ( Toledo) Blade reported that Humphrey was among a series of applicants hoping to serve as the Ohio city’s next police chief.

Helton was named permanent chief late last year. He served as interim chief in the period immediately leading up to his appointment; two other police officials had held the interim-chief title before him.

On Dec. 31, 2021, Humphrey was on patrol like other top police officials during an all-hands approach to the New Year’s Eve activities when he encountered an altercation and shooting at a gas station on Asher Avenue, according to the account authorities provided after the incident.

Humphrey reportedly fired his weapon at the 29-year-old armed suspect, who was arrested, unhurt, the same night and charged with first-degree battery. The police chief spent a brief period on administrative leave before returning to active duty in the wake of the incident.

State police agents took up the investigation of Humphrey’s use of force as well as the investigation of the gas station shooting, which left one victim injured.

A little over a month after the incident, state police officials handed off the investigative file related to Humphrey to prosecutors, an agency spokesman said at the time.

The office of then-Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley of the 6th Judicial District, which covers Pulaski and Perry counties, in July 2022 declined to charge Humphrey in connection to the use-of-force incident.

Humphrey’s actions were justified and no further review was necessary, Jegley wrote in a letter addressed to then-State Police Director Col. Bill Bryant.

Cindy Murphy, the communications director for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, did not address the status of the state police file referenced by Helton when she was asked about it recently via email.

The Police Department declined to provide records in response to a recent Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request that asked for results, findings or a final report prepared in connection to the internal investigation.

“Unfortunately, this investigation cannot be released because this is still an active investigation,” a records official within the department wrote in an email.