A 12-year veteran of the Fort Smith Police Department has filed a pair of complaints against Fort Smith chief of police Nathaniel Clark, claiming he has been the victim of harassment and that Clark has “knowingly violated the city of Fort Smith and Fort Smith Police Department Department policies and placed an employee and an officers safety at risk” in the first complaint.
Alvey Matlock, Officer / Computer Crimes Investigator and the only Digital Forensics expert in the Police Department who serves as the Senior Network Administrator responsible for all the technology in the department filled the complaints on Monday with Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman and Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Shue.
The combined complaints, counting narrative, supporting evidence and various documents and screenshots encompass well over 100 pages.
The complaints can be read from the links below.
In addition, the information provided contains numerous audio and video recordings. A complaint and copy of a police report involving Officer Wendell.
There is also a supplemental document to the complaint.
In the first complaint, Matlock contends “Unprofessional conduct by Chief Clark towards employees and fellow officers has created a hostile working environment and high risk to the community and criminal investigations in multiple jurisdictions”.
In the second Matlock contends “Failure of a commanding officer to meet his duties as a supervisor and attempt cover up by other police officers”.
Complaint #1 is sixteen pages long and addresses what Matlock calls a failure by Clark to take action on a complaint filed by Matlock on January 25, 2017. The initial complaint stemmed from a December 30, 2016 undercover operation in which Matlock was asked to participate in a field operation related to human trafficking of two under-age girls 14 and younger being sold in a sex trafficking ring.
Twenty-three days after that operation, Little Rock attorney Matt Campbell filed a Freedom of Information request about the incident. The information sought by Campbell specifically targeted information on Matlock’s work as an undercover officer and documentation of law enforcement training received by Matlock.
“It should be noted that over the last three years, Matt Campbell has requested numerous FOIA requests of Officer Alvey Matlock’s personnel records and attempted to use it in a deceptive manner to file false affidavits, and to support the allegations and lawsuits carried out by his clients: Officer Wendell Sampson, Don Paul Bales and Rick Entmeier” the complaint continues.
Matlock contends that his identity as an undercover officer was leaked in the course of the original incident, placing him in jeopardy.
Matlock addressed multiple points in the supporting narrative of his complaint.
*Criminal and sensitive information was being leaked to attorney Campbell.
*Officers responding to the December 30, 2016 sting operation were unaware of his undercover status and that officer Arthur Lewis, the brother-in-law of Officer Wendell Sampson, remarked he “thought Matlock was the one being arrested when he saw his truck at the hotel”.
*Matlock’s complaint was handled in an “unorthodox:” manner when it was assigned to his direct supervisor, who had announced his intention to retire, instead of the Office of Professional Standards-Internal Affairs.
*Clark denied a request for Matlock to be placed on the Arkansas state list of undercover officers despite the recommendation of three high-ranking officers.
*Another criminal case in December 2016 before the undercover uncovered “illegal and unethical behavior” by Campbell which led to a report being provided to another civil lawsuit with an attorney in Van Buren. The information is also said to have been provided to the Arkansas Bar Office of Professional Conduct.
*Details on social media posts by City Director Andre Good “endorsing Officer Sampson’s lawsuits against the city, ‘liking’ Facebook videos and comments that display Police Officers being attacked, questioning how federal law enforcement can be used to investigate the police department, and so on.”
*Frustration by high ranking office over Clark’s failure to investigate the original complaint and being told by one supervisor that “your career in the department is over under Chief Clark”
*Being told in April of 2017 that “no documentation on the complaint nor did the complaint exist in ‘Blue Team’.
*Comments by Clark that whoever leaked the information “would be fired “and his failure to allow expenditures to cover equipment that was damaged in a fire despite an insurance reimbursement of the department.
*Being lied to by Clark that transfer of the current IT staff was just “rumors” when he knew that City Administrator Carl Geffken had issued a verbal order to begin that transfer effective January 1, 2018.
*Clark suggested to a civilian employee that “an investigation was underway to remove Matlock ‘s ( a sworn officer) law enforcement credentials’.
*Clark had disbanded the Street Crimes Unit effectively eliminating investigations for “crimes against children including human trafficking, Peer-to-Peer investigations, prostitution, child pornography investigations, etc.”
*Clark actions made clear he “has aligned himself with a specific agenda if targeting employees, including Matlock” and that Clark and Good were listed as witnesses against the city in Wendell Sampson’s lawsuit.
*That despite “grandstanding” statements that those responsible for the basis of the original complaint “would be fired” that no action had been taken.
*Clark’s relationships with a certain member of the Board of Directors was guiding his decision to target certain officers, citing an “inappropriate relationship between Clark and BOD member Andre Good
*Clark’s actions had led to cases for “crimes against children including human trafficking, Peer-to-Peer investigations, prostitution, child pornography investigations to be virtually abandoned.
*Clark swore another IT employee to secrecy while promising him advancement n promotion outside the scope of the normal procedures.
*Clark was withholding letters of acknowledgement from the agencies praising Matlock’s work.
*Clark and Geffken had schemed to transfer Matlock from his position and shut down the Forensic Investigation division.
The second complaint listed:
*Chief Clark has acted in an unprofessional manner and his conduct is unbecoming of an officer.
*His statements imply he has initiated an undocumented investigation into the credentials of a police officer.
*His statements represent a risk to any investigation this police officer has been involved in which includes Crimes Against Children. A knowledgeable person in the field of law could reasonably understand the ramifications if a defense attorney learns of a Chief of Police comments and how they could be applied in legal proceedings.
*His conduct related to this complaint not only places criminal investigations at risk in Sebastian County but in surrounding law enforcement agencies including investigations currently ongoing in Oklahoma.
* His actions to have the FBI LEEP security removed from this police officer constitutes proof of targeting this officer and lends merit to Lauri Lowrimore statements are true. Email dated October 3, 2017, 9:04:33 AM from the LEEP membership show Officer Alvey Matlock LEEP account being revoked.
* His actions regarding the removal of FBI LEEP security resources are proof of destroying a key and proactive law enforcement function in the department related to special abilities to investigate crimes.
*His remarks to a civilian employee during a conversation regarding the undercover work performed by Matlock during a Human Trafficking operation is his own acknowledgment of a serious matter and proof he has willfully been derelict in his duties as the Chief of Police and department director. This action constitutes a violation of City of Fort Smith and police department policies not using his powers to investigative a serious
complaint.
* His remarks and lack of actions to investigate the complaint filed in January by Matlock also shows an effort to cover up misconduct by an officer(s). These remarks also provide merit to his lack of concern for officer safety and protecting special investigations specifically to human trafficking and crimes against children.
*Clark remarks and actions toward this officer and other officers constitute a behavioral pattern of targeting. His actions continue to damage the Police department’s ability to investigate crimes and operate proficiently towards the goal of public safety that has been the standing tradition before his arrival in the department.
