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Arkansas State Police use-of-force controversy

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2026-09-03 20:44 UTC → 2026-09-04 04:58 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following a high-speed pursuit in Blytheville on August 19, video footage emerged showing Arkansas State Police Trooper Theodore Henderson using force against a passenger, Tedrick Washington Jr. The footage depicts Henderson breaking a vehicle window with a baton, pulling Washington by his hair, and punching him twice in the face. The pursuit reportedly began when an SUV was observed traveling 82 mph in a 60-mph zone, eventually reaching speeds of 130 mph while the trooper exceeded 140 mph. Dashcam footage shows Henderson breaking a rear window and ordering Washington to crawl out before grabbing him by his dreadlocks and punching him. Washington, a former college basketball player, was seen in handcuffs with blood on his face and back. While the driver, Adonerus Johnson, faced charges of felony fleeing and DWI, Washington was charged with obstruction of governmental operations and resisting arrest. Washington has since been released on bond and is preparing legal action. In response to the scrutiny, Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar defended the agency’s use-of-force practices, arguing that force must be evaluated based on the “complete circumstances of an encounter” rather than isolated clips. Hagar noted that troopers operate in high-stress environments, citing agency data that recorded 939 uses of force during more than 1,026,000 officer-violator contacts between January 2023 and August 2024. Conversely, Henderson’s official report claims that Washington “postured up” as if to strike him during the encounter. Investigations into the trooper’s use of force remain ongoing.

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