Internal Investigation Remains Under Review

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

FARMINGTON -- The Washington County Prosecuting Attorney's office is still in the process of reviewing a case file of an internal investigation involving two Farmington police officers, according to Matt Durrett, prosecuting attorney.

Farmington Police Department conducted an internal investigation after a woman filed a complaint that two officers used excessive force while arresting her 15-year-old son on New Year's Eve at the Kum & Go on Main Street in Farmington.

Farmington's investigation was turned over to Arkansas State Police. Durrett said the state police has turned over the file to his office for review and no decisions have been made about the case.

Farmington conducted an investigation to make sure the department's polices and procedures were followed during the arrest, Lt. Chad Parrish said at the time. The officers who made the arrest, Justin Collins and Dustin Long, were not placed on leave.

A redacted incident report regarding the arrest said Collins stopped at the store to use the restroom when he saw two teens standing in the bathroom. Collins wrote one of the teens was trying to shove what looked like a marijuana pipe into his right pocket. The officer asked what it was and the boy admitted it was a pipe, according to the report.

Collins said he grabbed the boy by the arm who immediately tensed up, pulled his arm away and refused to comply with verbal commands. Collins pushed the teen toward a wall to secure and handcuff him and the boy started yelling his face was injured. Collins saw blood coming from the boy's face near his mouth, according to the report.

Collins called for assistance and Long arrived. Long wrote in his report that the teenager continued to resist arrest. The officers escorted the boy to a police vehicle outside and he was taken to the police department.

Police charged the boy with resisting arrest, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.

The teen's mother, Micaela Fillmore-Stephens, called last week to say all charges had been dropped against her son. A representative with Washington County Juvenile Court on Friday said she could not give out any information about the case because it involved a minor.

At the time of the arrest, Fillmore-Stephens said officers gave her son no instructions and overreacted. She wrote about the incident in her blog, saying officers were not in danger and had no cause to exert the amount of force they used on her son.

General News on 04/04/2018