Conway chief fires officer over response, statements after Fifth Avenue Park mass shooting

Conway Police Chief Chris Harris fired Officer Britney Byrd June 30, saying an administrative inquiry into the April 13 mass shooting at Fifth Avenue Park found multiple policy violations, including unsatisfactory performance, untruthfulness and insubordination.

Harris told the Conway Police Department Review Board that the investigator, Lieutenant Tom Kennedy, and reviewers concluded Byrd “departed from the scene where an active life‑threatening situation was unfolding” and later made statements contradicted by camera and timing evidence. "Your lack of meaningful action during the crucial first 5 minutes of a mass shooting . . . constitutes a significant failure," Harris read from the termination letter.

The inquiry, AI 25‑04, reviewed dash‑cam, body‑worn camera footage and GPS logs and examined when officers knew about gunfire and how they responded. Harris and the review board concluded Byrd, who was parked across the street at Roller McNutt Funeral Home when gunfire began, did not activate emergency equipment or body‑worn recording and drove a circuitous route that took her away from the park before returning about five minutes after her initial radio transmission. Other officers who arrived sooner — several of them with far less patrol experience — had activated lights and sirens and began life‑saving measures.

The board members who voted to recommend termination were Assistant Chief Mike Welsh, Major Clay Smith, Major Presley and Sergeant Philip Sweet; Major Lee Wood initially proposed a lesser written reprimand and then changed his position in follow‑up discussion. Lt. Kennedy presented the investigative summary but was not a voting member of the review board.

Harris said the review weighed the totality of evidence including the sequence of radio calls, in‑car and body camera footage and officers’ GPS data. The chief emphasized the department’s need for personnel who will respond “directly and expeditiously” to life‑threatening incidents and said untruthfulness in investigatory interviews is grounds for termination: “In this profession, that’s all you have is your integrity.”

Byrd was given a written termination notice listing the policies found to have been violated: 601.3 (conduct unbecoming), 601.4 (insubordination), 601.25 (truthfulness), 603.24 (unsatisfactory performance), 800‑5 (emergency operation of departmental vehicles) and 855 (body‑worn camera). The letter notes the department’s finding that she turned off in‑car recording before leaving the immediate scene, did not activate emergency response equipment, and made statements to the investigator that were contradicted by recorded evidence.

The administrative file and the review board packet included dash and body camera footage, GPS extracts and interview recordings. Lieutenant Kennedy told the board he was alerted to concerns about Byrd after supervisors raised “rumblings” about her response; he then reviewed location and timing data and interviewed responding officers and Byrd.

Harris said he considered officers’ experience, past discipline and the context of a chaotic mass shooting, but that those factors did not alter his conclusion. "If she had followed officer Riddle and got there at the same time, we wouldn't be here," he said. The chief acknowledged Byrd’s prior commendations but said awards do not excuse the conduct his office found in this case.

Byrd signed an acknowledgement of the termination letter; the department provided the notice, described the findings and set the termination effective date.

The review board and the chief’s decision do not resolve any criminal investigations; detectives and prosecutors continue separate investigative work into the April 13 shooting.

What’s next: The termination is final as an administrative action; Byrd may pursue internal appeal processes available under department rules or seek legal remedies outside the department. The review board’s written recommendations and the investigative file remain part of the departmental record.