Little Flock council fails to overturn termination of former police chief after review of investigation

The Little Flock City Council on March 10, 2025 met in special session at Sunshine School to consider a written appeal by former Police Chief Shawn Hollis and review an investigative report from the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Mayor Jeff Van Sickler presided; Council Members Debb Formanek, Chris Cantwell, Sherry Moncrief and Robert (Rob) Phillips were present. Councilwoman Natalie Tibbs was recorded as absent.

Council members received three documents: Hollis' written appeal, a written response from the mayor and a Criminal Investigation Division report from the Benton County Sheriff's Office. City Attorney Shane Perry advised the council that Arkansas Code §14-42-110 allows the council to overturn a municipal termination but that doing so requires a two-thirds vote of the council (four affirmative votes). Perry also said alternatives to termination had been discussed with the mayor prior to the action.

Former Chief Shawn Hollis was given the opportunity to address the council and respond to the investigation's findings. Sergeant Davis answered council questions about the department's warrant procedures, and Officer Lynge provided information about a specific citizen complaint and the related incident report. Mayor Van Sickler told the council the termination decision was driven primarily by what he described as a pattern of leadership deficiencies; he and other council members cited examples and noted Hollis had received leadership training, including a University of Arkansas leadership class in 2024.

Council Member Rob Phillips moved to overturn the termination; Council Member Debb Formanek seconded. The motion failed on a 2-2 vote with Natalie Tibbs recorded as absent (votes recorded: Robert Phillips Yes, Debb Formanek Yes, Chris Cantwell No, Sherry Moncrief No). Attorney Perry had earlier confirmed that overturning the termination would require four affirmative votes under state law, so the motion did not meet the legal threshold to reinstate Hollis.

After the motion failed, Council Member Rob Phillips moved to adjourn; Council Member Sherry Moncrief seconded. The minutes record the meeting as adjourned at 7:14 p.m. The adjournment vote is shown in the minutes as unanimous "Yes," including a vote attributed to Natalie Tibbs, though the roll call earlier in the meeting recorded Tibbs as absent. That discrepancy appears in the official minutes and is noted here as an inconsistency in the meeting record.

No public comments were allowed at the special session because of the meeting's personnel subject matter. The minutes state the materials reviewed by council included Hollis' written appeal, the mayor's written response and the Benton County Sheriff's Office investigation report. The meeting minutes were signed and dated March 17, 2025 in the record provided to council.