CRIME
Arkansas Police Chief Arrested And Charged With Kidnapping
Chicot County Sheriff’s Office
A small-town Arkansas police chief was arrested this week and charged with kidnapping after allegedly driving a man to a remote location, beating him, and leaving him stranded last year.
The Arkansas State Police said Eudora Police Chief Michael H. Pitts, 45, was arrested on Tuesday on a charge of felony kidnapping in connection with an incident that took place on Oct. 26, 2023.
According to state police, Pitts was dispatched to a gas station in Eudora, about 140 miles southeast of Little Rock, to respond to a report of a man causing a disturbance. State police launched an investigation into Pitt’s response and whether he illegally detained the disruptive customer at the request of a district attorney in November.
Pitts claimed to investigators that he intended to arrest the man on charges including trespassing and public intoxication, but was unable to transport him to jail because he was storing a vehicle bumper in the backseat of his patrol car. Pitts claimed that as a result, he removed the man’s handcuffs and told him not to return to the gas station.
But state police allege a different version of events after looking into the story of the customer, 49-year-old John Hill Jr., and cell phone data. They say Pitts allegedly forced Hill into his patrol car and transported him to a remote location in Chicot County. Pitts then allegedly assaulted Hill, leaving him stranded with injuries.
Hill said he had left his hat in the patrol vehicle when he was stranded, and later found it near a dumpster. State police reviewed surveillance footage, which allegedly showed Pitts stopping near the dumpster on the night of the incident.
Pitts surrendered to the Chicot County Sheriffs Office and was released from jail after posting $5,000 bond. He is due to appear in court on Feb. 26.
TMX contributed to this article.
