Sharp County Officers Named in Civil Lawsuit

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Two Blytheville attorneys filed a civil lawsuit in Sharp County Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon on behalf of an Ash Flat man they say several officers unlawfully assaulted, prosecuted, and harassed. The officers named are Josh Trivitt, Colton Wilson, Jack Lowe, and Tom Rigsby. Trivitt and Wilson are with the Ash Flat Police Department. Rigsby is with the Cherokee Village Police Department. Lowe is a reserve deputy with the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department. Chief Anthony Wiles, Chief Rickey Crook, and Sheriff Mark Counts are also listed as defendants in the lawsuit, along with their respective municipalities. The lawsuit stems from an incident on November 12, 2016, when several officers responded to Randall Veazie’s house in Ash Flat because of a supposed domestic issue. According to the original report from the Ash Flat Police Department, Veazie’s wife told dispatch he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. When officers arrived, she told them that Veazie was inside the house, rolling a joint and they had been fighting.  Both the report and lawsuit state that Veazie was apparently intoxicated when police officers began talking with him. The lawsuit alleges that Officer Josh Trivitt body-slammed Veazie. It also said that body camera video shows Officer Tom Rigsby hit Veazie on the side of the head with a flashlight while Veazie was lying on the ground and handcuffed. The report by Officer Colton Wilson does state that Veazie was pulled out of the police car after trying to kick the officer, busting his chin on the pavement. The lawsuit states Veazie suffered several bone fractures and deep cuts from the incident. One of Veazie’s attorneys, Zach Morrison, said the plaintiff’s medical bills exceed $50,000 so far.