Black lawmakers frustrated by Arkansas State Police head’s absence from meeting about traffic stop

Arkansas lawmakers and community members expressed frustration with the State Police director’s absence from Tuesday’s Legislative Black Caucus meeting about a state trooper punching an 18-year-old during a traffic stop.

Col. Mike Hagar had been expected to appear before the caucus to discuss the Aug. 1 traffic stop of Alisa Hackett that gained national attention and is the focus of a civil rights lawsuit. But Hagar canceled his appearance Monday, citing the suit against trooper Moisses Arellano.

Dash camera footage obtained through a public records request shows Arellano throwing Hackett, who is Black, to the ground while trying to handcuff her and then punching her in the face. The video has drawn national attention after going viral online.

Marion Democratic Rep. Jessie McGruder said the video was “very alarming” for him to watch as a father, teacher, coach and former law enforcement officer.

“Any young man who has played for me knows if you strike a female, you will be suspended that week, and you have to deal with the consequences,” McGruder said.

McGruder noted that many elected officials of both parties pressured former Rep. Austin McCollum, a Bentonville Republican, to resign earlier this month after he was charged with domestic violence against his wife.

Tuesday’s meeting was initially scheduled for Aug. 13. After the lawsuit was filed Aug. 10, caucus leadership decided to postpone the meeting “until we could get more information,” Rep. Jay Richardson, a Fort Smith Democrat and the caucus chairman, told the audience.

National civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing Hackett in her lawsuit and has called on the State Police to investigate Arellano and make the findings public. Crump was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

Members of the public said Arellano’s treatment of Hackett is a symptom of the widespread problem of how law enforcement officers treat Black Americans.

Activist Anika Whitfield said she was disappointed that Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has not made a public statement about the incident.

“Our governor, who says that she’s pro-life, needs to know that pro-life does not end when you’re born,” Whitfield said.

Sanders spokesperson Sam Dubke said “it would be improper for the Governor to comment” while the case is in active litigation.

A handful of white lawmakers were present at the meeting, including Blytheville Republican Rep. Joey Carr. Some audience members said they wanted a public statement from Carr since Hackett is his constituent, even though the traffic stop occurred in a neighboring district.

Carr said he “was appalled” when he saw the video of the traffic stop, and he believed Arellano should have been put on administrative leave.

Some attending Tuesday’s meeting also cited outrage over a widely shared video of Little Rock police officer Thomas Shook holding 23-year-old Gregory Williams, who was unarmed, at gunpoint in a convenience store earlier this month. Shook was relieved of his duties last week, and activists have called for further accountability.

NAACP Arkansas State Conference President Barry Jefferson said the Legislative Black Caucus “should be outraged” by Hagar’s absence.

“This was an opportunity for him to do some transparency, some dialogue, and some accountability, to talk about policy and procedures or what the [State Police] department can do better,” Jefferson said.

Rep. Tara Shephard, a Little Rock Democrat, noted that Hagar appeared before lawmakers in 2024 to address the shooting death of a Little Rock airport executive by federal agents. She called Hagar’s absence an “inconsistency.”

“The purpose of today’s meeting was not so that we could try the Hackett case,” said Shephard, who is running unopposed for a state Senate seat. “The purpose of today’s meeting was to ask the colonel about policies, procedures, compliance, standards of operations and why some agencies operate the way that they do.”

An Arkansas State Police spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Several lawmakers and audience members advocated for policy changes regarding law enforcement officers’ conduct and accountability, such as requiring them to lose their jobs, pensions or benefits if they violate the law or their departments’ rules.

Sen. Jamie Scott, a North Little Rock Democrat and the caucus’ vice chair, noted that gaining enough support to pass such legislation will take “a lot of work.”

“I’ve been in office eight years, and there’s never been a lack of desire of the Black Caucus to put those pieces of legislation in place,” Scott said. “We need the numbers to do it.”

Four of the 34 senators and 10 of the 99 representatives are Black. All of them are Democrats, and Republicans currently hold a 107-133 legislative supermajority.

Sen. Fred Love of Mabelvale, the Democratic nominee for governor, noted a 2021 bill he sponsored as a House member that would have created a law enforcement investigation office within the State Police. The legislation would have created a hotline to report misconduct and a searchable database of officers who have abused their power. The bill did not go before the House Judiciary Committee.

“So know that we are trying to fight this same fight,” Love said. “There’s obstacles in the way, but we will continue to fight.”