Former Chief Deputy Mikel Blocker, who was working as a patrolman for the Jasper Police Department when the allegations surfaced, was arrested by Arkansas State Police agents on Sept. 11 on charges related to the alleged theft of firearms.
Aaron Carter, an investigator with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, was also arrested during the follow-up investigation on a charge related to the alleged theft of a firearm, according to Wheeler.
Multiple firearms were recovered during the investigation, the sheriff said.
Wheeler said he recently became aware of allegations that Blocker may have been involved in criminal activity and contacted the prosecuting attorney to request an independent investigation. Blocker was subsequently terminated from his position with the Jasper Police Department.
The Arkansas State Police then began investigating the allegations.
According to Wheeler, neither the Newton County Sheriff’s Office nor the Jasper Police Department took a direct role in the State Police investigation. Both agencies cooperated with investigators and provided information requested by Arkansas State Police.
Following Carter’s arrest, Wheeler said Carter was terminated from his position with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation and arrests involve two men with ties to local law enforcement, but Wheeler emphasized that the matter was turned over to an outside agency for an independent investigation.
Additional details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged thefts, including the number of firearms recovered and where they were recovered, were not included in the information released by the sheriff.
In a release, Sheriff Wheeler says:
“This breaks my heart and this situation has been the most unpleasant work-related thing of my career but we owe it to the public we serve to hold ourselves as Law Enforcement Officers to a higher standard. When myself and Jasper Police Chief Mike Henderson became aware of even the possibility of unethical or illegal activities, we took action and requested a thorough and independent investigation which led to where we are now. Also, I want the public to know that, no matter who you are, we take all crimes seriously and no one is above the law. We truly appreciate the Arkansas State Police and the thoroughness and professionalism they showed in this matter.”
