LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – More than a month after the Little Rock police chief fired his gun at a shooting suspect, there are still questions that linger.
Police Chief Keith Humphrey was helping on patrol New Years Eve when he saw an argument on Asher Avenue.
As Humphrey exited his SUV, authorities say one woman shot another.
The chief then fired his gun at the shooting suspect. Investigators said the bullet missed the person and hit a nearby car.
The Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) requested Arkansas State Police (ASP) to handle the criminal investigation.
Since the shooting, numerous public records request have been filed for police documents, bodycam footage and radio traffic.
The city originally denied the request, citing the ongoing criminal probe, however, the Arkansas Attorney General determined some records could be released.
Officers released some public records Monday and Tuesday, including footage from a nearby pole camera and redacted scanner traffic.
What LRPD did not release is video from the Asher shooting scene.
The department said bodycam footage of responding officers could not be released because of an ongoing criminal investigation.
LRPD officials said no public records exist of Chief Humphrey’s bodycam footage.
Now, 40 days after the shooting, it is still unknown if Chief Humphrey had a bodycam on.
Little Rock Police said Wednesday questions should be directed to ASP since they are leading the investigation, however, State Police is not investigating the department’s procedures.
An ASP spokesman confirmed Wednesday that special agents are only investigating whether Chief Humphrey’s use of deadly force is consistent with Arkansas law.
According to state law:
A law enforcement officer is justified in using deadly physical force upon another person if the law enforcement officer reasonably believes that the use of deadly physical force is necessary to:
(1) Effect an arrest or to prevent the escape from custody of an arrested person whom the law enforcement officer reasonably believes has committed or attempted to commit a felony and is presently armed or dangerous; or
(2) Defend himself or herself or a third person from what the law enforcement officer reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force.
State Police is expected to send the criminal case file to the Pulaski County prosecutor by the end of the week. The prosecutor will then review the file.
In May of 2021, a man was shot when a Little Rock officer’s gun went off after his hand got stuck in the suspect’s car door. Police officials released bodycam and dashcam footage of the shooting five days later.
State Police did not investigate May’s shooting and prosecutors said they were not consulted prior to releasing that video.
The city announced last month that the department’s internal affairs unit will begin investigating after the criminal probe, which is normal procedure.
If Chief Humphrey was not wearing a bodycam, it does not mean he broke any city rules. Department policy shows body cameras are deployed at the chief’s direction.
The City of Little Rock purchased the body cameras for nearly a million dollars back in 2020.
State training records show Chief Humphrey completed numerous classes in the month of December, including de-escalation and deadly force.
Police department records show the chief still needed to take a nighttime firearm qualification class, something not required by the state. A police spokesman said the nighttime qualification was completed during another training during the month of January.
