LR officer faces inquiry after Bryant DWI arrest
Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
An undercover Little Rock police detective is under investigation after Bryant police reports described him asking Bryant police to ignore a driving-whileintoxicated charge as a “professional courtesy,” then threatening that the arresting officers would be “taken care of” if they entered Little Rock.
The reports also said a Little Rock police lieutenant and two other detectives asked Bryant police if they could simply let the undercover detective go free without charges.
Little Rock police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said the investigation right now concerns only detective Russell C. Littleton, 35, who is set to mark his 11 th anniversary with the department next week. Bryant police reports indicated that Littleton, who was pulled over for speeding in an unmarked city-owned pickup the night of Aug. 14, asked repeatedly both before and after his arrest to be let go because he has a badge. When that didn’t happen, several reports indicated, he began making vague threats.
Littleton is barred from driving any city-owned vehicles during the investigation but is allowed to continue working, Hastings said.
Littleton pleaded innocent to a driving while intoxicated charge in Bryant District Court on Wednesday. His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 20.
“Because this matter is still under investigation we won’t have any comment on the specifics of what may have happened or where things may go from here,” Hastings said. “But this is not the way that any officer — with the Little Rock police or another agency — should act. It is simply unacceptable behavior.”
Through Hastings, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas declined to comment.
There is nothing in the Little Rock Police Department’s general orders that specifically addresses Littleton’s situation. But two sections of the Arkansas law enforcement code of ethics, which each sworn officer must sign, seem to apply.
“I will keep my private life unsullied, as an example to all, maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn or ridicule, develop self-restraint, and be consistently mindful of the welfare of others,” Section 2 begins. “I will be honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, and I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.”
Section 3 is even more direct.
“I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities or friendships to influence my decisions,” it reads. “With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately, without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.”
Littleton did not respond to a message left with Hastings on Monday seeking comment.
A TRAFFIC STOP Bryant police detective Nick Ramsey clocked Littleton’s unmarked city-owned pickup at 89 mph on Interstate 30 at 10: 50 p. m. Aug. 14. Ramsey wrote in his report that the truck slowed down as it passed him and had to brake hard to make it onto Exit 123. Ramsey turned on his cruiser’s blue lights and pulled the truck over. “When I approached the vehicle I observed the driver slouched away from the drivers side door holding a wallet with a Little Rock Detective Badge,” Ramsey wrote.
Told that he was pulled over for driving 89 mph in a 70 mph zone, Littleton said he “never drives that fast,” according to Ramsey’s report.
Almost immediately, Ramsey wrote, he smelled alcohol.
Littleton told him he had three drinks at a fantasy football meeting with others in the Little Rock Police Department’s criminal investigation division and another drink at lunch.
Ramsey asked Littleton to step out of the truck and perform a series of sobriety tests.
“He asked me if I could show some ‘Professional Courtesy’ and let him go,” Ramsey wrote. “I told him that I would have probably helped him out on the speeding if he had not been drinking.”
Littleton failed the first test, according to the report, failed the second and passed the third. He also refused a breath test, according to the report.
Ramsey called another Little Rock undercover detective to come pick up the truck. That detective also asked whether Ramsey could just let Littleton go, Ramsey wrote. Told he was under arrest, Littleton said Ramsey had just cost him his job and custody of his daughter, according to two Bryant police reports. Bryant officer Leon Prickett noted in his report that Littleton continued asking if there was someone he could talk to or “something we could work out.” Ramsey locked Littleton in handcuffs.
UNDER ARREST From the back of Prickett’s patrol car on the way to the Bryant Police Department, Littleton had a question, Prickett wrote in his report: “Do you always arrest every police officer you stop ?” At the police station, according to two reports, Littleton again refused to take a breath test. “You know I’m not going to take that test,” Littleton said, according to Ramsey’s report.
Ramsey told Littleton he was being charged with DWI, refusal to submit to a breath test and speeding.
At first, Ramsey and Prickett each noted in their reports, Littleton refused to sign his citation until Ramsey told him his other option was to be booked into the Saline County Detention Center. Littleton signed the citation.
In addition, Ramsey wrote, Littleton changed his story after his arrest, saying he was on duty when Ramsey stopped him. At first he had said he was off duty and on his way home, according to the report.
Littleton also called his lieutenant. Ramsey wrote that during that conversation he could hear “... the other party yelling obscenities about me arresting [Littleton ] and not letting [Littleton ] go.”
Littleton also had words for Ramsey and Prickett, according to their reports.
“During his time at the Bryant Police Department,” Prickett wrote, “Littleton made comments to Det. Ramsey and I such as; ‘If you come through Little Rock, you’ll be taken care of’ and ‘ Good luck in Little Rock. ’”
Ramsey told Littleton he would have to keep the Little Rock detective’s driver’s license.
“That’s fine,” Littleton said back, Ramsey wrote. “I have three more.”
A little while later, an undercover Little Rock police detective arrived to pick up the truck Littleton drove.
Littleton was released to Little Rock police that night.
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