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.
JPD internal investigation PS 26-034 sustained a dishonesty finding against Cpl. Jeremy Wheelis concerning his relationship with a woman he described as an informant and whose cases he handled. A confidential informant reported allegations June 29, 2026, including a romantic relationship, database checks, sharing departmental information and a search-warrant warning. Investigators recovered 3,097 messages and seven voicemails from the woman’s phone under a probation search waiver. Capt. Scott Baker described explicit messages discussing past sexual encounters and photographs appearing to show Wheelis shirtless in bed with the woman. Wheelis repeatedly denied sexual contact, described the interaction as flirtatious and initially questioned whether he took the photographs before recalling taking one and saying he must have taken another. Baker concluded the communications showed at least a romantic phone relationship and probably a physical sexual relationship. The records also describe two active cases in which the woman was a victim and Wheelis was the assigned detective. Her identity is omitted here.
Relationship concerns had surfaced in January 2026; Wheelis was removed from a connected homicide investigation and ultimately reassigned from investigations to patrol. Lt. Morshaydrick Racy documented concerns that the undisclosed relationship jeopardized that case and could affect Wheelis’ testimony. The records do not establish that the homicide case was dismissed. Wheelis was placed on paid leave July 13 and interviewed July 22 and 28. Investigators consulted ACIC and found the database misuse allegation unfounded; Wheelis said he checked for warrants to arrange service or encourage surrender. The alleged search-warrant tip was not established, and Baker wrote that he believed Wheelis’ denial. Wheelis acknowledged showing the woman retail theft GroupMe photographs but said he was trying to identify suspects; investigators reported this led to another woman being alerted about Ulta theft footage. He denied funding incarcerated individuals’ accounts but acknowledged sending the woman money through Cash App. He declined a polygraph on his attorney’s advice and questioned its reliability; Baker cited the refusal as failure to cooperate.
Chief Rick Elliott terminated Wheelis’ employment Aug. 5, 2026, after the dishonesty finding was sustained. The criminal/database misuse allegation was marked unfounded. The disciplinary notice cites ethics, conduct and investigations policy violations. JPD requested decertification Aug. 6; CLEST voted in October to proceed to a hearing, not to revoke certification. CLEST’s narrative incorrectly lists July 13 as the firing date; JPD’s leave notice, investigative notes and disciplinary notice establish July 13 as paid leave and Aug. 5 as termination. No criminal conviction or final decertification is established by these records.
NEA Report received JPD’s redacted 38-page PS 26-034 file from Sally Smith on Friday afternoon, Oct. 23, 2026, and separately obtained the 23-page CLEST referral packet from the Arkansas Department of Public Safety through FOIA. Wheelis sought an attorney general’s opinion in an effort to block release; the redacted file was subsequently provided. The primary source link opens the JPD file. Read the CLEST referral packet. Reviewed Oct. 23, 2026.
According to JPD internal affairs file PS 26-008, included in the CLEST packet released to NEA Report, drug task force Agent Christopher Jefferson admitted a romantic and sexual relationship with a confidential informant. Poinsett County sheriff’s officials brought the matter to JPD on Feb. 9, 2026, after the woman allowed a deputy to record messages and images. Investigators reported that communications began professionally in February 2025 and became personal around July. Jefferson told Capt. Bryan Davis the sexual relationship began after the woman finished controlled drug purchases; he said they had sexual encounters about twice and that the relationship ended around October 2025. Davis also reported that Jefferson disclosed the names of streets where other task force agents lived. JPD policy prohibited inappropriate relationships with people involved in cases and social relationships with current or former confidential informants. Read NEA Report’s full story.
JPD opened an internal investigation Feb. 9, placed Jefferson on paid administrative leave Feb. 10 and accepted his resignation effective Feb. 12, 2026. Capt. Scott Baker closed the investigation with sustained policy violations; the completed record is dated Feb. 19. In his resignation email, Jefferson said he was unaware of the complete details relied upon for the investigation. Baker documented information relayed by Chief Rick Elliott that Prosecutor Sonia Hagood planned to stop accepting Jefferson’s cases and testimony and dismiss pending cases where he was the lead agent. City attorneys also expressed concerns about his cases and testimony. The packet does not establish how many cases were affected or whether those dismissals occurred.
Jefferson resigned Feb. 12, 2026; JPD sustained policy violations and recommended decertification. CLEST voted during its October meeting to proceed to a decertification hearing. That vote did not revoke his certification. These are departmental findings and a pending certification proceeding, not a criminal conviction or final decertification decision.
NEA Report obtained the redacted 30-page CLEST packet from the Arkansas Department of Public Safety through the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. It includes CLEST’s hearing referral, JPD’s PS 26-008 investigative reports, administrative leave notice and Jefferson’s resignation correspondence. The primary source link opens that packet. Reviewed Oct. 23, 2026.
According to KNWA/FOX24's Oct. 16, 2026, reporting on CLEST hearing documents, investigators found Christopher Schmeckenbecher accessed sexually explicit stories on a school-issued laptop while assigned as a Springdale school resource officer. Some stories carried warnings for underage sex and nonconsensual acts. A forensic review found no imagery resembling child sexual abuse material on the device.
Springdale Public Schools reported the laptop use to police April 15, 2025. Schmeckenbecher resigned April 18. Chief Derek Wright recommended decertification four days later, according to KNWA/FOX24. CLEST voted May 13, 2025, to proceed to a hearing, according to commission minutes.
CLEST unanimously voted to decertify Schmeckenbecher at a contested hearing Oct. 13, 2026, according to the Arkansas Department of Public Safety's October meeting announcement. Appeal status was not established in the reviewed sources.
Arkansas Department of Public Safety, Oct. 15, 2026, 'Commission Conducts October Meeting and Hearings': confirms unanimous decertification Oct. 13. https://dps.arkansas.gov/news/commission-conducts-october-meeting-and-hearings/
KNWA/FOX24, Kyler Swaim, Oct. 16, 2026, 'Ex-Springdale police officer decertified for using work laptop to access explicit content,' syndicated by AOL: reports on hearing documents, investigation and resignation. https://www.aol.com/articles/ex-springdale-police-officer-decertified-231738000.html
CLEST May 13, 2025, meeting minutes, item XXXI: decision to proceed to a hearing. https://media.ark.org/dps/CLEST-Commission-Meeting-Held-May-13-2025-Minutes.pdf
NEA Report has not independently reviewed the underlying investigative file or final decertification order. Verified Oct. 17, 2026.
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