FORT SMITH, Ark. — A former law enforcement officer from Arkansas, who admitted to violating the civil rights of a man he assaulted during an arrest caught on camera in 2022, is now facing time in a federal prison medical facility.
U.S. District Judge Susan O. Hickey sentenced Levi White, a former deputy with the Crawford County sheriff’s office, to 63 months in prison, allowing for credit for time already served. He will be housed at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners located in Springfield, Missouri. Additionally, the judge recommended that White receive medical counseling and treatment during his incarceration and will be under supervised release for two years after completing his sentence.
White pleaded guilty to a felony charge of deprivation of rights under color of law in relation to the violent arrest of Randal Worcester on August 21, 2022, outside a convenience store. Alongside him, another former deputy, Zackary King, was also charged by federal prosecutors for their roles in the incident. The arrest, which occurred in Mulberry, approximately 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, near the Oklahoma border, was filmed by a passerby. The footage quickly gained widespread attention online.
King, who entered a guilty plea as well, is set to face sentencing soon. As of late Wednesday, White’s attorney had not returned requests for comments regarding the case.
Notably, a third officer seen in the video, Mulberry Police Officer Thell Riddle, has not faced any federal charges. Following the incident, both King and White were terminated from their positions with the Crawford County sheriff’s office. The recorded footage shows King and White physically assaulting Worcester while Riddle restrained him, with White also forcefully bringing Worcester’s head down onto the pavement.
Authorities reported that Worcester was initially being interrogated for allegedly threatening a clerk at a convenience store in the nearby town of Alma when he allegedly tackled one of the deputies and struck him prior to their aggressive arrest. Worcester is scheduled for trial in February on charges related to this incident, which include resisting arrest and second-degree battery.
In addition to the criminal cases, Worcester has filed a civil lawsuit in 2022 against the three officers, along with the city of Mulberry and Crawford County, regarding the arrest. However, this lawsuit has currently been paused pending the outcomes of the related criminal proceedings.
