An Arkansas State Trooper is facing scrutiny after video showed him breaking a car window and pulling a passenger out by his dreadlocks during an August 19 traffic stop in Blytheville.
What Happened
Tedrick Washington Jr., a former Division I basketball player from Blytheville, was riding in the backseat of an SUV that troopers pulled over after clocking it at 119 mph. After a PIT maneuver stopped the vehicle, video shows Washington with his hands raised before Trooper Theodore Henderson broke the window with a baton, then pulled Washington out by his hair and punched him in the face.
The Officer’s Account
Henderson’s report said he struck Washington a second time after ordering him to crawl through the broken window, claiming Washington “postured up” as if preparing to swing at him.
The Charges
Washington was charged with resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental operations. Adonerus Johnson, who was driving, faces felony fleeing, resisting arrest, first-offense DWI, reckless driving, and other charges. Washington was not driving the vehicle and is reportedly preparing to pursue legal action.
Part of a Pattern
The incident is the second notable case of alleged excessive force by an Arkansas State Police trooper within a month, following an August 1 incident involving trooper Moisses Arellano and an 18-year-old woman.
