Copyright Arkansas Online
William "Bill" Walker Jr., a businessman and former Arkansas lawmaker, was handcuffed during a dispute with Little Rock police officers on Sept. 30 before being released at the direction of Police Chief Heath Helton. That decision came after Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. reached out to Helton, the police chief said in response to a request for comment by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I was contacted by the Mayor regarding an incident unfolding on Daisy Bates Drive, which typically happens when he is getting calls about a particular incident," Helton said in a statement provided by a spokesperson. "He asked for clarification, and I informed him I would look into it," Helton added. "After checking with a supervisor, who at that time did not have much information, I made the decision to authorize the release of the detained individual until we could gather further details. Additionally, I was not contacted by Walker or anyone else." Walker was not charged in connection to the incident. The Democrat-Gazette obtained videos and documents related to the incident from the Police Department under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. According to an incident report, just before 5 p.m. on Sept. 30, a driver who had been traveling north in a southbound lane of Broadway Street stopped next to officer Austin Kurcz's patrol car. The man told the officer that a woman was chasing him and trying to hit him with her vehicle. A blue Cadillac was seen pulling up behind the man's BMW, then making a left turn onto West Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive, accelerating away from Kurcz, the report said. Kurcz activated his lights and siren and followed the vehicle, which reached speeds of 60 mph before finally pulling into the parking lot at 1020 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive. The woman driving the Cadillac, later identified as Alyson Walker, 34, got out and started walking into the business at the location, the report said. Public records show that the property, which is home to the Premier Centre, is owned by an LLC incorporated by Bill Walker. Assuming it to be a domestic incident, Kurcz attempted to speak with Alyson Walker, but she was on the phone and ignored him, the report said. When he was able to get her attention, she started to yell and continued to walk away, according to the report. As Kurcz attempted to handcuff her, Alyson Walker pulled away and dropped her weight, falling to the ground and stating she was having a panic attack. Her father, Bill Walker, came out of the business, and police requested an ambulance for Alyson Walker, the report said. Police were unable to locate the driver of the BMW and dispatchers did not receive any calls about the incident, the report said. While waiting for the ambulance, officers left the scene to respond to a pursuit in the area. At 5:25 p.m., officers went back to 1020 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive, according to the report. After speaking with first responders, Alyson Walker said she wanted her mother to take her to the hospital and was helped into her mother's vehicle outside. Alyson Walker was cited in connection with driving on a suspended license, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and reckless driving. According to body-camera video of the incident, after Bill Walker is told that the Cadillac is going to be towed because his daughter's license is suspended, he indicates he wants to speak to Kurcz's supervisor. Some discussion ensues about providing officers with the keys to the Cadillac, but Walker and others at the Premier Centre apparently are unable to locate them. Kurcz and officer Kenneth Harness approach the Cadillac, which apparently was unlocked, open the doors and begin looking around inside. Bill Walker and his wife, Sharon, walk up to the officers and an argument ensues. Kurcz says they are searching the vehicle to make sure there are no weapons or valuables inside. At one point, Bill Walker gets on the phone with someone. Officers tell Bill and Sharon Walker to back away from the vehicle, and when Bill Walker refuses to move, the officers place him on the hood of the vehicle and handcuff him. While police are moving Bill Walker into a patrol car, he reaches into his pants pocket and attempts to hand something to another individual at the scene, Jordan Givens, who is identified as Bill Walker's employee, as an officer tries to stop them. When told to back up, Givens starts yelling at police, at which point he is grabbed, taken to the ground and handcuffed. After Sgt. Alicia Meeker arrives at the scene in response to Bill Walker's request for a supervisor, he identifies himself to her as "Senator Bill Walker" and asks if she has heard from the police chief. Shortly thereafter, Meeker speaks with someone over the phone -- likely another police supervisor -- and then orders Kurcz to "take Walker out of cuffs immediately," citing an order from the police chief. Meeker then speaks to the police chief over the phone to explain what she knows about the situation. After speaking with Bill Walker and others at the scene, Meeker and another police official get Helton on the phone, according to body-camera video. "Cluster?" Helton says after picking up. "Very much so," the other official says. During the discussion, Helton asks if Bill Walker has been taken care of. Meeker responds that Bill Walker is out of handcuffs and confirms that she will dismiss the tow truck. Helton is told that the owner of the Cadillac is a leasing company, but the police chief tells them to turn it over to Bill Walker. When discussing how to handle Givens, Helton says that "if we need to cite him, fine," acknowledging that he does not know the circumstances. Helton adds that "we just need to try to mediate (the) best we can 'cause this is gonna cause a s***storm, and we're gonna need to eat probably some crow on it, but let's try to minimize it the best we can." Later, as Meeker and other officers at the scene are discussing Givens' charges, she tells them, "So, we've got to try to minimize this as much as we possibly can because it's already been to the mayor's office." "He called the mayor directly," Harness says, referring to Bill Walker. Givens ultimately was cited in connection with obstruction of governmental operations, disorderly conduct and refusal to submit to arrest. In response to questions from the Democrat-Gazette, Aaron Sadler, a spokesperson for Scott, said via email, "Mr. Walker called Mayor Scott to ask about the City's towing policy after officers had initially left the scene without taking any action, then returned to Mr. Walker's property. Mayor Scott then called Chief Helton to seek clarity about the incident, which later escalated." The mayor often receives calls about all types of city issues, including police incidents, from residents, city directors and others, Sadler wrote. "When calls are received, he reaches out to the appropriate department director, just as he did in this instance," he wrote. "The Mayor asked the Chief to look into the matter, and nothing more. To say or to infer that the Mayor involved himself in a law enforcement decision is flatly wrong. The Chief has authority and discretion over all law enforcement actions." Walker, who turned 65 on Friday, was first elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1986 as a Democrat and later served in the Arkansas Senate. In 2006, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Little Rock. The following year, then-Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Walker to serve as the director of what was then known as the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education. In late 2019, Scott's appointment of Walker to a seat on the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission was confirmed by the Little Rock Board of Directors. Walker was elected chair of the seven-member panel in January 2024.
