A Little Rock man accused of choking a Fayetteville police officer on New Year’s Eve near Dickson Street pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court on Tuesday (April 8), officials said.
Khiry Morris was sentenced to two years in a state Department of Correction prison on an aggravated assault charge, officials said.
In response to a physical disturbance call on New Year’s Eve, Fayetteville officers arrived at Z330 Bar near the intersection of West Avenue and Watson Street. Several people were fighting inside the establishment, officials said.
While attempting to separate two people, the officer felt someone grab him around the waist and the throat, he later reported. The officer pushed the man to a nearby fence for leverage, at which point the suspect wrapped both hands around the officer’s throat, according to a preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
The officer said he was unable to breathe at the time, as the suspect attempted to force him to the ground. The officer broke free from Morris’ grasp and handcuffed him, according to Fayetteville police.
While transporting Morris to the Washington County Detention Center, police noticed the suspect had an active warrant out of Little Rock on suspicion of aggravated robbery, the preliminary report states.
