The Democratic Party of Arkansas and the NAACP Arkansas State Conference are urging a review of the Arkansas State Police’s use-of-force policies after a video surfaced showing a trooper pulling a man by his dreadlocks and punching him through a car’s shattered backseat window.
The incident occurred on August 19 following a high-speed chase in Mississippi County. Video obtained by NEA Report shows Trooper Theodore Henderson breaking the rear passenger window of a vehicle, forcibly removing Tedrick Washington Jr. by his hair, and striking him in the face. This is the second video from Mississippi County in August to draw national attention and has reignited debates over police conduct.
The first video, recorded during an August 1 traffic stop near Manila, depicted an officer striking an 18-year-old and has already led to a civil rights lawsuit. Arkansas State Police Director Col. Mike Hagar defended the agency’s use-of-force practices in a statement Tuesday but did not address the individual incidents, citing ongoing litigation.
Hagar reported that the State Police Highway Patrol Division documented 939 uses of force out of more than 1,026,000 officer conduct contacts between January 2023 and August 28, 2026—less than 1% of all interactions, according to Hagar. However, his absence from a recent Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus meeting, where lawmakers hoped to discuss the earlier incident, drew criticism. Black lawmakers expressed frustration, repeating concerns after the second video’s release.
Sen. Jamie Scott, vice chair of the caucus and a Democrat from North Little Rock, called for broader accountability. “There are broader concerns regarding Arkansas State Police policies, training, use-of-force practices, de-escalation, accountability, community trust, and public safety that members of the Caucus have a responsibility to address on behalf of the Arkansans we represent,” Scott said in a Monday statement. “Those issues do not disappear simply because litigation is pending in a particular case.”
NAACP Arkansas State Conference President Barry Jefferson also emphasized the need for a thorough investigation, noting that these incidents have shaken community trust. “Reports of repeated encounters have raised community concerns about the Arkansas State Police’s use-of-force practices, training, supervision, transparency, and accountability,” Jefferson said Monday. “Whether these incidents reflect a broader pattern should be determined through a thorough review of reliable evidence and relevant records.”
While defending the overall conduct of the agency, Col. Hagar argued that social media platforms have sensationalized recent incidents, accusing content creators of repurposing historical videos to create misleading narratives. However, he assured that any use of force by troopers remains “a regrettable last resort” and undergoes careful review.
The videos have sparked discussions on law enforcement transparency and prompted calls for updated policy reviews, further training, and accountability to rebuild trust between state police and communities.