Conway police hearing reviews investigation that led to Officer Britney Byrd’s termination

Conway — A Conway Civil Service Commission hearing on the administrative investigation into Officer Britney Byrd’s response to a mass shooting reviewed evidence that investigators say showed policy violations in how she drove to the scene and how she used (and later deactivated) on‑vehicle recording equipment.

The commission heard testimony from Lieutenant Tom Kennedy, who led internal investigation AI255‑04, and from Byrd’s attorney, Angela Byrd. Kennedy told the panel he reviewed park surveillance, officers’ dash and body camera footage, radio traffic and GPS logs and concluded Byrd drove a circuitous route, did not use full emergency lights or sirens for most of the response and turned off her dash camera during the drive. “504 Conway — there’s multiple, multiple shots fired out here at Fifth Ave,” Kennedy played from Byrd’s radio transmission as evidence the officer called the shooting into dispatch, and said the GPS and video suggested her driving speed averaged roughly 25.3 miles per hour over the stretch he analyzed.

Why it matters: the commission must decide whether the department followed its own rules in firing Byrd and, if so, whether the recommended penalty is appropriate. The review board found probable violations of department rules covering truthfulness, conduct, body‑worn cameras and emergency vehicle operations and recommended termination; Chief Chris Harris then terminated Byrd on June 30, 2025, according to city counsel’s opening statement.

What investigators said they found

Lieutenant Tom Kennedy, identified as the investigator who compiled AI255‑04, described a wide‑scope inquiry that examined roughly a month of work, including 17 personnel interviews, six park cameras, about 15 officer body‑cam streams and dozens of hours of radio and non‑emergency calls. He said he narrowed the probe after supervisors raised concerns about Byrd’s response and then obtained GPS exports that plotted vehicle positions in Google Earth.

Kennedy testified that the GPS trace he analyzed showed Byrd pulling out of the funeral‑home/church parking area, traveling south on…