On May 15, 2026, shortly after 5 p.m. Little Rock Police responded to a disturbance at a Sunoco convenience store on West Roosevelt Road.
Officers were told, 26-year-old Clifton Shelton, had allegedly attempted to steal a Black and Mild cigarillo, but the clerk declined to pursue a report. An off-duty Pulaski County sheriff’s deputy reportedly recognized Shelton and purchased the cigarette for him. According to the police report, Shelton refused to identify himself and appeared confrontational before walking away. Officers later began searching for him after receiving a report that a 56-year-old man had been struck near the store. The man described his attacker as wearing a red hockey jersey and a hat with ear flaps, matching the clothing Shelton was wearing. Around 5:41 p.m., Officer Katelyn Brewer located Shelton and questioned him about the cigarette and the earlier encounter. During the conversation, Brewer followed Shelton as he walked away and asked whether he had “a problem with white people”, referencing the alleged assault. She also challenged him about whether he wanted to fight, while telling him that she had the “right people” there.
The encounter escalated moments later when another officer, Brad Forrester, arrived in a patrol vehicle and Shelton ran from the officers. Brewer and Forrester chased him into a nearby yard and drew their Tasers.
Body-camera footage shows Shelton raising his hands and repeatedly asking whether the officers were going to hit him before Forrester grabbed his jersey and a physical struggle began. Brewer fired her Taser, apparently without stopping Shelton, and Forrester and Shelton exchanged blows before falling to the ground. During the struggle, Brewer yelled that Shelton had grabbed her firearm, a claim Shelton immediately denied. Additional officers arrived and several officers struck Shelton before another officer successfully deployed a Taser, allowing them to handcuff him. Shelton was medically cleared by first responders and taken to the Pulaski County jail, where he remained in custody. He later pleaded not guilty to felony charges including attempted disarming of an officer and second-degree battery, along with misdemeanor counts including resisting arrest, obstructing governmental operations, criminal mischief and fleeing. The Little Rock Police Department subsequently released the incident report and body-camera footage, while criticism grew over Brewer’s comments and the use of force during the arrest. Police said Brewer remained employed by the department and that officers’ use of force is subject to review.
