PDF: Hanon complaint
Red Bank faces its third high-profile lawsuit in less than six months with one of its own police officers bringing charges that may shed light on the controversy surrounding the city's law enforcement division.
Three days after he chose to take a 60-day leave for exhaustion, Officer Bradley Hanon named Mayor Joe Glasscock, City Manager Chris Dorsey, former police Chief Larry Sneed, interim Chief Dan Knight and the city of Red Bank in a $1.5 million lawsuit, claiming that officials ignored his complaints against alleged improper police work by other officers. All four men subjected Hanon to "defamation, humiliation and mental anguish," the lawsuit says.
All officials declined to comment on the lawsuit except Sneed's attorney, Lee Davis, and Glasscock, who both called the lawsuit "frivolous."
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga, hits Red Bank three weeks after ex-chief Sneed filed his own $1.5 million lawsuit against the city and various officials, claiming retaliatory discharge and political conspiracy in his July 2 firing.
Including a $10 million aggregate sum sought by plaintiffs in an anti-traffic camera lawsuit filed in April, Red Bank now faces three major lawsuits asking for a combined $13 million in damages. Red Bank's coffers hold $5.1 million, according to the latest budget documents.
Some statements in Hanon's lawsuit offer possible details about why Sneed was dismissed, a topic that hasn't been touched by Red Bank officials.
It cites a June incident in which a Red Bank police lieutenant crashed a city police car which, according to the lawsuit, meant two things under department policy: An outside police agency should have investigated the crash and the officer should have taken a blood test.
Neither of those occurred, the lawsuit alleges. According to Hanon's complaint, Red Bank officers handled the accident and no one tested the police lieutenant involved in the crash. Hanon brought the matter to Commissioners Greg Jones and Floy Pierce - two officials named in Sneed's lawsuit.
At the start of 2014, the team behind Big Orange announced plans to open a brewery, and then were able to make it happen before the end of the year. Officially opened the weekend before Christmas, here are a few things to know before you visit Lost Forty Brewing, a Q&A with the head brewer, and a photo tour of the facility. (Oh, and also this year, Big Orange — along with liquor stores around the state — began filling growlers.)
Diamond Bear Brewing Co. moved it's headquarters from Little Rock to North Little Rock this year (and now they offer food!). Also new to DB in 2014? Southern Blonde in can form.
We held our first-ever Sync Craft Beer Tournament, narrowing a field of 32 regional beers down to 16, eight, four and then finally a winner. (Here's a recap of how we picked which beers to include, in case you're wondering.)
In April, there was noise of new brews making their way to Arkansas shelves. Local distillery Rock Town had similar news as its rum hit local shelves shortly after. This year also saw the ABC working to catch up with the boom of craft breweries in the state in terms of regulation.
Two independent brewers — Matt Foster and Josiah Moody — kept us up-to-date on what their recent endeavors in the world of brewing, and nanobrewery Stone's Throw Brewing celebrated its anniversary with news of expansion.
It was actually late last year that Joel Antunes hinted about big changes at Ashley's, and this year saw those changes come to life in the form of One Eleven at the Capital. Updates worth getting excited about: a predictably still-delicious menu and a new wine program.
In the fall, more breweries: news of a River Market brewery. One of Blue Canoe's brewers, Laura Berryhill, is one of the few females currently behind craft-beer production in the state.
Speaking of the River Market, Boscos closed, and soon after, Damgoode Pies announced plans to fill the space with an eatery and its first brewery. Plus, Raimondo Family Winery announced that it'd be moving its production facility and tasting room to downtown Little Rock.
Along Main Street, Maduro owner Michael Peace closed his cigar bar and reopened the spot as a speakeasy called 109 & Co. And lastly, down the street, Samantha's Tap Room — set to open in early 2015 — released a first look at its menu.
Plus, it's worth noting that in November, voters elected to make alcohol sales legal in Saline County.
What a year, right?
Bonus: Take our quiz on where to drink in the metro.
But according to Red Bank's police policy handbook, if the accident happens inside Red Bank city limits and causes only minor damage to the vehicles, no alcohol test is mandated and the investigation can be handled by the city.
Knight said there were only "minor scratches" to the vehicles involved in the police lieutenant's wreck.
According to the lawsuit, when Sneed got wind of Hanon's verbal complaints, the chief attempted to change the officer's shift, a move that was overruled by Dorsey because it constituted "retaliation" against Hanon.
Hanon alleges that Sneed changed the officer's immediate boss for "better supervision," another move blocked by the city manager. Dorsey fired Sneed soon after the chief attempted to deal with Hanon.
The lawsuit also alleges Hanon exposed a DUI arrest conducted by a Red Bank police officer in Soddy-Daisy - miles outside Red Bank's jurisdiction - and mentions an altercation with Glasscock in which Hanon alleges the mayor "became angered, yelled at plaintiff, grabbed plaintiff's arm and poked plaintiff in the chest."
Hanon's complaint places Sneed's attorney Davis and Red Bank City Attorney Arnold Stulce in the position of playing on the same legal team as both battle each other in Sneed's retaliatory discharge lawsuit.