A former chief of the Mayflower Police Department has been charged with assisting a convicted felon to obtain emergency blue lights. Former police chief Richard Shaw had started working for Mayflower in August of 2009.
In November of 2009, investigators began looking into the Mayflower Police Department’s possible use of a convicted felon as a law enforcement officer. The investigation resulted in the arrest of John Andrew Brinkley, who previously pled guilty to a felony hot check charge in 2007.
Brinkley was charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Criminal Impersonation, and Illegally Purchasing a Blue Light.
After the investigation on Brinkley was concluded, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office began to investigate Shaw’s involvement. Based upon additional evidence, a felony charge was filed against Shaw for assisting Brinkley in the purchase of the emergency blue lights.
“It is inconceivable to me that any police officer would assist a felon so that the felon would appear as a law enforcement officer to the public. And for that person assisting the felon to be the chief of police is simply inexcusable,” Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Marcus Vaden said.
Shaw is out on bond.
"Police chief made a wrong decision, I guess," says Lieutenant Matt Rice with the Faulkner County Sheriff's Department.
That decision led Shaw to resign in December.
"When you drive up on a traffic stop, and the guy that you've arrested has a uniform on and is carrying a weapon, and then the police chief knows about it, yeah, it's kind of, kind of scary," adds Rice.
But sheriff's deputies think this is an isolated case within Mayflower's department.
"If he did not know, there were certainly some incredibly strong signs that he should know, and again, since he's the chief, anything that that police department does is working pursuant to his direction and the policies that he sets forth," says Varden.
If convicted, Shaw faces up to six years in prison and a fine.
