CRAWFORD COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — The U.S. Attorney's Office has handed down recommended prison sentences for the two former Crawford County deputies who were caught on video violently beating a man.
On Aug. 21, former deputies Levi White and Zachary King, along with Mulberry Police Officer Thell Riddle, were seen in a video on top of Randal Worcester at a convenience store. The video went viral on social media as the two deputies seemed to be hitting and kicking Worcester while he was on the ground.
After multiple investigations, the deputies were fired from the Crawford County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 2022. Officer Riddle was reinstated to the Mulberry Police Department in February 2023. In the video, he is only seen holding Worcester down.
Prison sentence recommendations
The recommendation for White is eight years and one month in prison, along with a three-year supervised release, documents show.
The U.S. attorney called White's actions "a violent abuse of authority," saying he bragged to other officers about the beating along with wiping his police phone.
The recommendation for King is one year in prison. Officials said he accepted responsibility and expressed genuine remorse for his actions.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the two deputies are charged with infringing on Worcester's civil rights.
The pair will go before a judge on Oct. 9 and 10 to be officially sentenced.
Stay with 5NEWS for updates on this developing story.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.