The Faulkner County Sheriff's Office has a history of blatant negligence, a lack of proper officer screening and a particularly irresponsible Sheriff.

In 2019, former Deputy Keenan Wallace shot a nine-pound Chihuahua in the head after claiming the dog "lunged at him". However, video evidence proved otherwise, showing the dog turning around and calmly walking away before the Deputy pulled the trigger. Fortunately for the owner, Doug Canady, the Chihuahua survived the encounter. After sparking nationwide controversy and marking the name of the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office, Wallace plead no contest to the misdemeanor animal cruelty charge. However, despite the evidence against former Deputy Keenan Wallace, and Keenan Wallace's own "no contest" plead, Sheriff Tim Ryals wrote in his statement that it did not appear that Wallace broke any state laws or agency policy, but that he simply did not act according to the department's standards.

One would imagine that after having such a controversy, in which a Deputy is charged with a misdemeanor, that a policy and training change, along with proper psychological examinations, would have been a top priority to ensure to the communities in Faulkner County that the Sheriff's Office is there to "protect and serve". However, no policy change has been enacted.

Now almost two years later an investigator, who had went to the WRONG house, shot and killed a family pet of the Coiner family. A video posted online shows a very upset Chris Coiner confronting investigator James Freeman, who is casually getting back in his unmarked blue Toyota after shooting the family pet. The family pet had never bitten anyone in the past.

"My girlfriend watched it out the window, the dog was not attacking him, the dog was barking, in my yard, on private property".

“He did not make any attempt to get away from it, he didn’t make any attempt to get back in his vehicle, all he did was shoot the dog because he was barking at him,” recalled Coiner when interviewed by Fox16 local news.

In Sheriff Tim Ryals latest attempt to protect his employees, he wrote "Investigator Freeman was placed in an unfortunate situation with his back against the mobile home and no way to escape the dog. He again told the dog to get back and the dog lunged at him. As a result, Investigator Freeman deployed his weapon on the animal."

However, like a blast from the past, video evidence and Tim Ryals' own statement would say otherwise. The family dog lay dead, on the side of an unpaved driveway, no where near the mobile home that Investigator Freeman was supposedly backed up against when the animal "lunged at him".

Furthering the misrepresentation of what happened, Tim Ryals stated "Investigator Freeman approached the mobile home, and a dog came from under the building and started barking and growling. Investigator Freeman told the dog to get back. The dog then went back under the mobile home after being called by his owner from behind the mobile home. Investigator Freeman began to walk towards the back of the mobile home. However, after taking a few steps, the dog approached him more aggressively. Investigator Freeman was placed in an unfortunate situation with his back against the mobile home and no way to escape the dog. He again told the dog to get back and the dog lunged at him. As a result, Investigator Freeman deployed his weapon on the animal".

The story the Sheriff released does not add up to the video recorded by Chris Coiner, and the witnesses testimony. The dog supposedly came out from under the mobile home, and lunged at Investigator Freeman who had in Tim Ryals' own statement "his back against the mobile home". This is a blatant lie. Clear and simple.

Sheriff Tim Ryals would have us believe that the dog came out from underneath the same mobile home the Investigator was backed up against, despite the body being 15+ feet away from where it supposedly lunged at the investigator. Disgusting. 

In Arkansas state law, killing or injuring an animal owned by another person without legal privilege's or consent of the owner is an offense of animal cruelty, from ARK. CODE. ANN. § 5-62-103 (2017). Offense of cruelty to animals. The law specifically states:

(a) A person commits the offense of cruelty to animals if he or she knowingly:

(1) Subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment;
(2) Kills or injures any animal owned by another person without legal privilege or consent of the owner;

So despite being on the wrong property with no warrant, after shooting the animal in the head, Sheriff Tim Ryals still has the audacity to state that "After a thorough investigation, we have concluded that no policies or laws were violated".

Despite Sheriff Tim Ryals supposed advocacy of "integrity, professionalism, and transparency", he has reflected none of these through his and his Deputies' actions. We demand that the investigator is charged, as per Arkansas state animal abuse laws, and that Sheriff Tim Ryals resign permanently from his position. The Faulkner County Sheriff's Office has been branded with these vile actions, and it will not be tolerated again.

James Freeman is still on duty, according to Chief Deputy Matt Rice, so I advise all Faulkner County residents to keep their animals indoors, just in case another incompetent law enforcement officer ends up at the wrong address. As long as the current administration remains as is, there will be more and more unfortunate families having to explain to their three year-old child why their beloved family member was taken from them.