A special meeting of the Pine Bluff City Council expected Monday could overturn Police Chief Brenda Davis-Jones’ firing of Assistant Chief Ivan Whitfield.
Alderman Irene Holcomb, the senior member of the council, said Saturday afternoon she “intended to try to get the council together,” and will send out notices to all council members “the first thing Monday morning.
“We’re going to go into executive session to discuss the matter and when we come out, we will have a resolution,” Holcomb said.
In order to call a meeting, at least two members of the council have to request it, and notices must be given to council members and the press at least two hours before the meeting takes place.
Alderman Bill Brumett said he was contacted by Holcomb about the possibility of a special meeting, and said he expected it to proceed.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Both Brumett and Holcomb said the council has the authority to reverse the firing with a two-thirds vote, as they did when former Mayor Dutch King fired Bill Glover, then head of the Inspection Department.
“It’s my understanding that the notice must list the agenda for the meeting and the only thing that can be discussed is what’s on the agenda,” Brumett said.
Whitfield, who had been with the department for nearly 30 years and is a candidate for Jefferson County Judge, was fired Friday afternoon by Davis-Jones after an investigation into one of his weapons being found on a man considered a “person of interest” in a homicide investigation.
Friday afternoon, Whitfield said he would not comment on the firing until after he talked to his attorney, Othello Cross, who was sick and out of his office Friday.
Police spokesman Lt. Bob Rawlinson refused to confirm or deny the firing Friday, saying in a press release that “the Pine Bluff Police Department has completed the administrative investigations regarding the two police employees who were alleged to have violated departmental policy.
“The details of the investigation and/or discipline, if any, is not subject to release under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act until the employee(’s) appeal process is completed,” Rawlinson said.
Whitfield and another officer, Detective Marty Harrison, were placed on administrative leave with pay Feb. 2 and Rawlinson said the investigations into Whitfield and Harrison resulted from separate unrelated incidents.
Rawlinson also refused to comment on Harrison’s status.
At last week’s meeting of the City Council, aldermen received a letter from Crossthat said Whitfield believed his being placed on administrative leave was “unwarranted and retaliatory.”
In a signed statement that accompanied the letter, Whitfield said Davis-Jones’ actions followed his refusal to tell her the source of information he received about Davis-Jones’ boyfriend.
Davis-Jones promoted Whitfield to Assistant Chief in January 2011. The position of assistant chief can be filled or removed at the discretion of the chief.
Current Deputy Chief Kelvin Sargent was promoted to fill the position Whitfield formerly held, and according to Whitfield, witnessed an exchange between Whitfield and Davis-Jones where Davis-Jones told him, “if you or anybody messes with my two boys or my man, you are gong down. I mean that.”
Whitfield said that Sargent conducted the internal investigation into his case, rather than it being conducted by the department’s Office of Professional Standards.
If Whitfield decides to appeal the dismissal, he would have 10 days to file that appeal with the city’s Human Resources Department. Any appeal would be heard by a three-member panel made up of employees from other city departments. That hearing would have to be scheduled within 15 days after the appeal was filed.