HighFill’s police chief resigns over old sign incident

HIGHFILL - A Highfi ll police officer was suspended and the police chief resigned over a Pea Ridge population sign worth about $100.

The sign went missing about 2½ years ago.

Officer Jeremy Wall was suspended after a Benton County Sheriff’s Offi ce investigation last month showed he went into another man’s garage and took a sign which he then had returned to Pea Ridge. The sign had been found by a teen years earlier and wasn’t stolen, according to the Sheriff ’s Office incident report.

The men who had the sign say officers shouldn’t have taken it without a warrant or permission.

“The Highfi ll offi cers violated our civil rights,” said Will Battles, who complained about Wall’s actions to Mayor Stacy Digby. “My problem is that they came onto my property andtook the sign without asking.”

Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said a high school student said he found the sign in a fi eld on Arkansas 72 about 2½ years ago.

The youth later gave the sign to his brother. About 8 months ago, the brother moved in withBattles and brought the sign with him, according to the report.

Wall was at Battles’ house recently and saw the sign, Battles said. Wall told Police Chief Chuck Eggebrecht about the sign, according to the report. Eggebrecht told his wife, Clela, who is a Pea Ridge police officer. She called the Pea Ridge Street Department where she was told they wanted the sign returned.

Wall told Eggebrecht he had permission from Gregory “Blake” Webb, who also lived with Battles, to retrieve the sign. Webb denied talking to Wall about the sign or giving permission to take it, according to the incident report. Battles said he never gave permission, either.

Battles is a Highfi ll fi refighter. Webb is a police officer for Gravette and a part-time officer in Gentry.

Eggebrecht gave Wall permission to get the sign, which ended up being given to Clela Eggebrecht, who returned the sign to Ledbetter.

Battles called Digby on Sept. 10 to complain that an officer had entered his “shop” without permission or a warrant and took the sign. By Sept. 13, the Sheriff ’s Office was investigating.

A Pea Ridge offi cer was reprimanded over the incident, according to the report.

This week, Chuck Eggebrecht resigned over Wall’s suspension.

Pea Ridge isn’t pursuing any theft charges. The Sheriff’s Offi ce decided the officers didn’t have criminal intent and isn’t pursuing the case, Benton County Prosecutor Van Stone said Thursday.