ASP Director Accuses ‘For-Profit Streamers’ of Creating False Use-of-Force Narrative

Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar cited 939 documented uses of force during more than 1.026 million contacts while criticizing unnamed publishers following scrutiny of recent arrest videos.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar accused unnamed media outlets and “for-profit streamers” of sensationalizing and monetizing use-of-force videos in a public statement released Tuesday.

Hagar said some publishers selectively edit recordings to generate social media engagement and have presented older incidents as new, creating what he called a “false narrative” about the frequency of force used by Arkansas troopers.

The statement followed widespread attention surrounding videos of two recent Mississippi County arrests involving troopers.

Hagar said the ASP Highway Patrol Division recorded more than 1.026 million officer-violator contacts between January 2023 and Aug. 28, 2026. Troopers documented 939 uses of force during that period, which Hagar said represented 0.09% of all contacts.

That amounts to approximately nine documented uses of force for every 10,000 contacts.

The figures were provided by ASP. The statement did not include the underlying records, define what the agency counted as a use of force or provide a breakdown by force type, arrest or trooper.

“All of ASP’s pursuit and use of force videos are promptly released publicly in response to FOIA requests from media outlets and for-profit streamers,” Hagar said.

Hagar argued that the public sees only a small portion of the videos released under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. He said footage is sometimes presented without context and edited to generate likes, comments and shares.

The director did not name any outlet or provide a specific example of an older video being presented as a new incident.

Recent Mississippi County Videos Draw Scrutiny

One video involved the Aug. 1 arrest of Alisa Hackett, 18, near Manila. Video shows Trooper Moisses Arellano taking Hackett to the pavement and striking her in the face while attempting to arrest her.

Hackett later filed a federal lawsuit against Arellano alleging excessive force, retaliation and other civil rights violations. The allegations have not been decided in court.

Hagar previously declined to attend a public meeting with the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus concerning the arrest, citing the pending litigation. He offered to meet privately with lawmakers.

Another video shows the Aug. 19 arrest of Tedrick Washington following a pursuit that ended outside Blytheville.

The recording shows Trooper Teddy Henderson breaking a rear window, ordering Washington to exit, pulling him by his dreadlocks and punching him during the arrest.

Henderson wrote in his report that Washington refused commands, resisted and appeared prepared to strike him. A Gosnell police officer also reported punching Washington while assisting with the arrest.

Hagar’s statement did not disclose whether ASP completed a review of Henderson’s actions or what conclusion was reached.

The director said ASP would not discuss specific incidents connected to pending criminal or civil cases. He described any use of force by a trooper as a “regrettable last resort” and said each incident is carefully reviewed.

Hagar also said two troopers were assaulted during traffic stops during the preceding week. He argued that viewers know the outcome before watching a video, while troopers must make decisions without knowing how an encounter will end.

Hagar asserted that all uses of force involve two factors: “unlawful activity and noncompliance.”

“Take those two factors out of the equation, and there will be no incidents for us to explain or debate,” Hagar said.

The director also said the recent attention has resulted in death threats against ASP personnel and their families. The statement did not provide details about those threats.

Hagar concluded by saying ASP would remain focused on its public safety mission despite what he described as a distraction and disruption.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.