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Lepanto Police Chief Demoted, then Reinstated

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A police officer in a Poinsett County town was reinstated to his former position as police chief on Thursday after the mayor demoted him a couple of days prior. 

Lepanto Mayor Dale Dunlap on Tuesday demoted Police Chief Chad Henderson and appointed Officer David Kinney to the position.  Henderson refused the demotion and resigned from the department which caused several other officers to resign in protest. 

3 Aldermen called a special meeting of the Lepanto City Council on Thursday to discuss Dunlap’s decision.  Majority of the council members voted to overrule Dunlap’s decision and reinstate Henderson to Police Chief. 

Dunlap told the Jonesboro Sun his decision to demote Henderson was due to “ongoing issues” and that previous Mayor Steve Jerrigan also demoted Henderson.  Jerrigan told the Sun in 2014 he demoted Henderson over complaints from the community about the town’s drug problem. 

The council under Jerrigan’s term also voted to reinstate Henderson to police chief.

A Northeast Arkansas native from Wynne, I’ve been involved with radio for about 15 years. I got my Bachelor of Arts degree from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, where I also served as an award-winning News Director for 2 years at KSWH-LP.