National Urban League and Arkansas Affiliate Condemn the Actions of the Officers in Mulberry

NEW YORK and LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS (August 23, 2022) – Today, Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Scott Hamilton, President and CEO of the Urban League of the State of Arkansas, made the following statement after a video went viral showing law enforcement officers using excessive force on a civilian during an arrest:

“The Urban League of the State of Arkansas is frustrated by a recent video that depicts the extremely aggressive actions that three law enforcement officials inflicted upon an individual in Crawford County,” said Hamilton. “Every person should have an expectation of reasonable, respectful, and dignified engagements with law enforcement officers. The conduct shown in this video is certainly questionable and heightens the concerns and fears many have articulated. We applaud the immediate and swift investigative actions initiated by the local sheriff, the Arkansas State Police and Governor Asa Hutchinson in recognizing the detrimental impact this type of incident can have on a community. We are thankful that the individual in the video survived the incident, and we look forward to learning about the appropriate actions to be taken in this matter.”

“The excessive force used against Randal Worchester by officers in Arkansas is the latest example of why we focus our reform efforts on police accountability and restoring community trust,” said Morial. “The violent tactics used to subdue Mr. Worchester went well beyond police protocol, run counter to proper police training methods and do not appear to be warranted in any way. Incidents like this deepen the distrust between communities and the police, violating their duty to protect and serve. Distrust is especially true in underserved and overpoliced communities, like communities of color and the disability community. The National Urban League created its 21 Pillarsproposal to promote police accountability and good policing and to ensure states and localities have a range of strategies for responding to public safety matters, including non-carceral strategies.”

“We thank the Mulberry Police Department and Arkansas State Police for acting swiftly and placing the officers involved on leave, and the Department of Justice for opening an investigation. We look forward to learning more. ”