About the Tracker
NEA Report’s Police Accountability Tracker brings documented misconduct, disciplinary actions, criminal cases and agency responses into one searchable place. Entries are based on public records and credible reporting, and the tracker distinguishes allegations from sustained findings, charges, convictions and other final outcomes.
According to Little Rock Public Radio, an Arkansas State Police investigation found Christian Walker Morphis made false statements in official paperwork and failed to follow pat-down procedures during a 2023 drug arrest. Investigators found video contradicted his account that a handcuffed woman moved erratically and removed cocaine from her pocket.
Arkansas State Police conducted an internal investigation. The Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training voted unanimously to decertify Morphis on June 10, 2026, according to the report.
Decertified. The woman was found not guilty, according to the report. Drug planting was alleged but was not established as a finding in the cited report. Whether Morphis appealed the decertification was not established.
Little Rock Public Radio (KUAR), Josie Lenora, June 11, 2026: “Former Arkansas State Trooper decertified after investigation into 2023 drug arrest.” This entry summarizes reporting on hearing testimony and the internal investigation; NEA Report has not independently reviewed the underlying investigative file or decertification order.
The officer was arguing with a man about a barking 9 pound dog and when he got angry at the man, shot the dog. He was fired and charged and received community service.
Good Evening,
Since taking office in 2017, I have been an advocate of integrity, professionalism and transparency. I hold my Deputies to the highest of standards to protect and serve the residents of our community. Unfortunately, a Deputy fell short to those standards.
I was notified Friday of an incident involving Deputy Keenan Wallace. Deputy Wallace fired his service weapon that injured an animal while in close proximity to a citizen. I believe there were numerous opportunities to de-escalate the incident.
Over the last 24 hours, at my request, Faulkner County Investigators have been working diligently to investigate whether Deputy Wallace violated any state law or our agency’s policies and procedures. While it appears no policies or laws were violated, I hold every employee within our agency to the highest of standards and will be forwarding the investigation to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for further review.
As a result of the incident that occurred on January 4, 2019, in the Shiloh Estates Subdivision, Deputy Keenan Wallace has been relieved of his duties at the Faulkner County Sheriff’ Office.
We in Law Enforcement answer calls every day that require split second life and death decisions. We strive to be right 100 percent of the time.
Our Department is sadden about this incident and apologize for any distress and disappointment this incident has caused anyone who was affected by this disheartening event. We will keep Reeses in our thoughts through the recovery process.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Tim Ryals
Fired, charge with animal cruelty, pleaded no contest, and received 120 days in jail that was suspended upon completion of 80 hours of community service.
NEA Report, Facebook, Faulkner County Sheriff's Office, THV
According to Jonesboro Police Department internal investigation PS 26-049, Officer Clayton Edward Wilson left work without notifying a supervisor on Aug. 28, 2026, while temporarily assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division on light duty. Department records state he remained clocked in. Camera reviews placed his departure at approximately 8:41–8:42 a.m. and his return at 2:19 p.m., an absence of more than 5½ hours.
Sgt. Chad Hogard and Lt. Jacob Daffron reported that Wilson initially said he had left to get gas, then admitted that explanation was false. Wilson said his neck and back were bothering him and that he had spent hours sitting in his car in a driveway in Jonesboro. According to Hogard, Wilson said he felt he was in the way in the division and did not think anyone would notice his absence.
Supervisors questioned whether he had instead gone to his home in Hoxie after reviewing his return route. Wilson denied going to Hoxie, and the provided records do not establish that he went there.
Read NEA Report’s full story: JPD Officer Fired for Leaving Work, Lying to Supervisor.
JPD conducted an internal investigation. Capt. Scott Baker reported briefing Chief Rick Elliott on Aug. 28 and presenting his findings Sept. 1. Statements from Hogard and Daffron documented the absence and Wilson’s admission that he lied about getting gas. A Sept. 3 summary by Assistant Chief Waterworth reported that supervisors again had difficulty locating Wilson that day before finding him sitting in his vehicle in the parking lot.
Chief Rick Elliott terminated Wilson’s employment effective Sept. 3, 2026. JPD sustained findings of absence without leave and lying to a supervisor; the internal case lists attendance and dishonesty as sustained. These are departmental disciplinary findings.
NEA Report obtained all records underlying this entry through Freedom of Information Act requests made for its Police Accountability Tracker. One request revealed Wilson’s Sept. 3, 2026 firing; a separate request produced the nine-page JPD internal investigation file PS 26-049.
The file includes the complaint and investigative summary, the disciplinary notice specifying termination effective Sept. 3, and written statements from Lt. Jacob Daffron, Sgt. Chad Hogard and Assistant Chief Waterworth. The primary-source link below opens the complete FOIA document.
Official officer portrait courtesy of JPD. Records reviewed Oct. 1, 2026.
The video was shared in the NEA Report News Tips group on Facebook. According to the post, the video involves a 2023 incident in which a 70-year-old woman approached a traffic stop to pick up her grandchildren. The post claims that after a verbal exchange with Officer Will Tate, he slapped a phone from her hand, used force to restrain her against a vehicle, and denied her medical attention despite her requests. She was reportedly released without charges and later went to the hospital.
Unknown, as Tate was a JPD officer at the time
However, he lost his job at the Trumann Police Department in 2026 after it resurfaced.
Due to the totality of the circumstances, Officer Will Tate is no longer with the Trumann Police Department. The officer’s continued presence in the field has raised concerns among community members and stakeholders, indicating a substantial loss of trust. This dynamic compromises the department’s ability to effectively engage with the public and uphold its mission of service.
– Chief Jon Redman.
Tate was either fired or resigned from the Trumann Police Department after public backlash on social media.
Trumann PD posts, FOIA court records, video posted to social media
Tate was dispatched for a shoplifting complaint, but when he arrived, he realized it was more of a trespass issue, with the store clerk wanting a man to leave. The man was argumentative, stating he was friends with the owner and asking for an explanation.
Instead of explaining the process of criminal trespass, Tate escalated the situation, an internal affairs investigation said. Tate closed the distance, drew his taser, and grabbed the subject by the shirt collar.
Tate also falsely wrote in his incident report that he heard Baker say, “When we get outside, we’re going to throw hands.” But the statement did not occur, police found. Supervisor Bryan Davis wrote that he believed Tate “misheard” the subject.
“At no point during the contact was the subject anything more than verbally confrontational, and you never developed probable cause for an arrest in which a use of force would have been authorized,” Tate’s supervisor wrote in the reprimand.
Two-day suspension. Police recommended remedial training for Tate as well as a class in de-escalation.
FOIA'd personnel file from JPD by NEA Report
An Arkansas State Police trooper took an 18-year-old Osceola woman to the ground and struck her once in the face during an arrest following a traffic stop near Manila, according to an ASP use-of-force report.
Trooper was admonished for failure to identify himself and using excessive profanity. He was counseled by his supervisors not to make those mistakes again.
The trooper was counseled and returned to duty. A Federal civil rights lawsuit was filed by Luther Sutter and later taken over by Ben Crump.
Ark. Times, Ark. Dem-Gazette, NEA Report
On April 21, 2026, I, Special Agent Tyler Ashcraft, along with Special Agent Creston Hutton, were requested by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to investigate a sexual assault that occurred on April 18, 2026, in Swifton, Jackson County, Arkansas. The juvenile victim stated that on the evening of April 17, 2026, he, Benjamin “Drake” Slagley, and another sixteen-year-old juvenile were at an address on NE 2nd Street in Swifton, AR.
Both juveniles stated in a forensic interview conducted at the Northeast Arkansas Child Advocacy Center in Jonesboro, AR, that Drake Slagley provided alcohol to the two minors. The juvenile victim said that on or around 11:30 p.m., he fell asleep on the living room couch while Drake Slagley and the other juvenile played pool. The other juvenile stated in his interview that he told Slagley to leave and walked him out the front door around 1:30 a.m. The other juvenile said that after walking Drake out the door, he went into the bedroom and went to sleep.
On the morning of April 18, 2026, between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., Drake re-entered the home without permission. The victim stated he woke up and his pants and underwear were down to his knees and Drake Slagley was fondling his penis while he was asleep on the couch. A noise in the house caused Drake to get up and leave the victim on the couch. While Drake was out of the room, the victim pulled his underwear and jeans back up and texted the other juvenile to come into the living room to tell Drake to leave the residence. In the meantime, Drake comes back into the living room, sits back down on the couch, and begins to undo the zipper on the jeans of the victim. As Drake was attempting to undo the zipper of the victim, the other juvenile came into the living room and advised Drake to leave the residence. During the forensic interview, the non-victim juvenile stated that he and the victim had given Drake approximately thirty dollars 6-8 times to purchase alcohol for the two juveniles.
Based on the facts presented above, on April 27, 2026, Benjamin Drake Slagley committed the acts in violation of Arkansas law as described in A.C.A. § 5-14-125 — Sexual Assault 2nd Degree (Class B Felony), COUNT #2: A.C.A. § 3-3-202 — Knowingly furnishing or selling to minor (Class D Felony), COUNT #3: A.C.A. § 5-39-201 Residential Burglary (Class B Felony).
Case Pending
Probable cause affidavit, court records, press release from Arkansas State Police
On Saturday, August 30, 2025, at approximately 2:25 a.m., Jackson County 911 received a call from BENJAMIN DRAKE SLAGLEY. Mr. Slagley called to report a residential structure fire at his residence located at 208 Duncan Street, in the City of Swifton located in Jackson County. During the call, a female subject whom Mr. Slagley refers to as “Mom” can be heard asking “why would you do something like this? What did you do?”
The Swifton Volunteer Fire Department responded to the residence and observed black smoke emitting from the eaves of the residence. Upon entering the residence, firefighters located the fire in the northeast bedroom of the residence. Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters exited the residence to allow it to cool. When firefighters re-entered the residence, they located a second source of fire inside of the bathroom closet, which was extinguished. The fire was small and contained within the closet limited to small debris pile with no identifiable source of ignition within proximity to the fire.
During the investigation, two (2) separate areas of origin were identified. The areas of origin were independent of one another with no means of communication between the fires. Each fire originated from within closets. The primary fire originated from the closet in the northeast bedroom with significant heat and no clearly identified source of ignition. Electrical wiring and connection boxes within the walls and ceiling were intact and unremarkable. The secondary fire was isolated to a small pile of debris which was consistent in appearance with a roll of paper towels.
Physical indicators of arson include but are not limited to multiple areas of origin, accidental or acts of nature fires typically originate from a single source or area. Patterns for arson fires often include multiple origins set simultaneously to ensure expedited expansion. Benjamin Drake Slagley was the sole occupant at the residence at the time of ignition.
An estimated property damage exceeds $15,000.00 but less than $100,000.00.
Case Dropped
Court Connect
Redman oversaw the Trumann Police Department when it launched an investigation into its own citizens for criticizing operations within the city. The most alarming allegation is that Trumann officials obtained some of the search warrants by falsely portraying an investigation as involving child pornography and a potential homicide. Prosecutors refused to pursue the case over free speech issues.
Redman resigned as Trumann Police Chief coincidentally after a federal lawsuit was filed.
The City of Trumann is facing a federal lawsuit that accuses several of its top officials of orchestrating a scheme to obtain search warrants under false pretenses to identify and silence critics of city leadership. However, Trumann officials say they’ve done nothing wrong.
A Federal lawsuit has been filed against Redman and Trumann leadership for approving the activities that led to this.
Lt. Scott Pillow got caught stealing over $30,000 in what he thought was drug money, according to an FBI agent's affidavit. It was actually a trap laid by Federal authorities to catch him after they became suspicious that he was stealing money from drug busts. https://neareport.com/2019/11/07/pillow-thought-he-was-stealing-from-a-drug-dealer-it-was-the-fbi/
“Our office will not tolerate anything but utmost integrity and honesty among our staff and our law enforcement. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is committed to working with other law enforcement agency partners to conduct public corruption investigations The law enforcement community must be held to a higher standard and our trust with the citizens of Greene County will always be of utmost importance. Our office will continue to cooperate and seek out any conduct that does not meet these standards. Our office is committed to the protection of integrity of public services and anything that compromises that will not be tolerated.” Sheriff Steve Franks
Pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and sentenced to two years in Federal prison.
NEA Report