The Morning News: News : Norman Sentenced To 90 Days In Jail

Norman Sentenced To 90 Days In Jail

Hamley Family satisfied with sentence

Last updated Thursday, June 28, 2007 5:49 PM CDT in News

By Don Dailey
THE MORNING NEWS

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BENTONVILLE - Former Arkansas State Police Trooper Larry Norman was sentenced Thursday to 90 days in jail and 30 days of public service at a center for the disabled for the March 2006 shooting death of Joseph Erin Hamley, a disabled man Norman mistook for an escaped fugitive.

Norman will also serve 12 months' probation and pay a $1,000 fine.

Benton County Senior Circuit Judge Tom Keith handed down the sentence after an hour and a half of emotional testimony from family members of both Hamley and Norman.

Erin Hamley's mother, Mary, read a short statement after the sentencing in which her family members said they are satisfied with the sentence.

"We feel that justice was served and that the constitution was upheld," Mary Hamley said. "I feel that justice was done for Erin."

Norman looked straight ahead as the judge read the sentence. Some of Norman's family members and supporters cried softly.

Norman's sister-in-law, Mary Norman, speaking for the family, expressed sympathy for the Hamley family and support for Larry Norman.

"I believe that he has always served to protect and at that time that was what he was trying to do," she said.

The judge ordered Norman to begin serving his sentence immediately and he was taken away in handcuffs by Benton County Sheriff Keith Ferguson.

Norman's adjudication took a somewhat unusual route. Instead of the common plea bargain in which prosecutors and defense attorneys agree on a charge and a sentence, Norman pleaded guilty to charge handed down by a grand jury and asked for the judge to decide the sentence.

Keith ordered a relatively rare presentence investigation, which provided a sentence recommendation.

Norman, 41, of West Fork, an 18-year police veteran, faced up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine and possibly other sanctions, including community service.

Norman mistook Hamley for a Michigan prison escapee and shot him as he lay near the shoulder of U.S. 412 west of Tontitown. He pleaded guilty to negligent homicide on May 4 after being indicted a year earlier by the first grand jury in a quarter-century called in Benton County.

The 21-year-old Hamley had cerebral palsy and was disabled. It's not known how he got so far from his home in Springdale.

"I mistook this young man's actions as threatening toward me and the other officers and I made the mistake of acting on this misunderstanding, sir," Norman told Keith during the May proceedings.

The grand jury concluded Norman disregarded orders, played the radio in his police cruiser too loudly to hear dispatches and did not communicate with other officers before fatally shooting Hamley.

Norman was sitting in his cruiser in a parking lot in Fayetteville early on March 7, 2006, when he heard Trooper Wilson Short dispatched to check out a report that Michigan prison escapee Adam Lee Leadford had been spotted, the grand jury's report said.

Acting on a "gut feeling" that the reported man was indeed Leadford and that there would be a problem, Norman sped to the location. Once there, he ignored Short's order to block traffic on the highway and instead joined Short and four Washington County deputies in a perimeter around Hamley with guns drawn, the grand jury report said.

The officers ordered Hamley onto his stomach, but Hamley lay on his back instead. Norman said Hamley appeared to be reaching into his pocket, but the grand jury decided Hamley may have been attempting to turn onto his stomach.

The grand jury reported Norman, who had been on the scene less than a minute, fired his shotgun once and the slug grazed the pavement before hitting Hamley in the side. Norman told Short the shot was not an accident.

Police captured Leadford later that day in Springdale after a high-speed chase. Leadford, who had evaded police for three days, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his actions in Benton County. He was sentenced to six years in prison on charges in Washington County.

Norman waived his right to a jury trial in his plea and also waived right to appeal.

The state paid Hamley's estate $1 million and the family agreed the settlement would satisfy all claims against the state. The state police did not admit wrongdoing.

The agency granted Norman medical retirement last year due to what his attorney called an "enormous psychological overlay" from the shooting.

Some of the incident was captured by cameras mounted on police vehicles. The film and other evidence, including hours of interviews conducted by the grand jury of Norman and other officers on the scene, were made public today.

Why a negligent homicide charge?

Robin Green, who was serving as prosecutor when Joseph Erin Hamley was shot by State Trooper Larry Norman, requested a grand jury be convened to consider an indictment.

Green presented several optional charges to the 16-member grand jury, including manslaughter, a felony carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Jurors chose the lightest charge: misdemeanor negligent homicide. They released an eight-page report that called Norman's actions "troubling" and "disturbing."

A charge of manslaughter would have required recklessness on Norman's part. Recklessness is defined as consciously disregarding risk.

Related stories:

www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/05/05/news/050407bznorman.txt
www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/02/26/news/022707azhamleysettlement.txt
www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/06/23/pages/grand_jury/gjreport.txt

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Reader Comments (38 comment(s))

The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.

moonglow wrote on Jun 28, 2007 3:25 AM:

" The punishment will in no way fit the crime. "

1105 wrote on Jun 28, 2007 6:13 AM:

" Once again, THERE WAS NO Crime committed. This officer followed his training, he DID exactly what he was trained to do. He was covering the fellow officers while they were approaching Mr Hamley. Mr Hamley made movement, causing the other officers to retreat, therefore as covering officer Trooper Norman fired. Tragedy yes, crime NO. He should never have been charged, and this should never have gone to the grand jury, He is NOT now nor has he ever been a bad cop. He has given 15yrs of dedicated service to the NWA area, He is an outstanding Trooper, a great friend and a wonderful father. Trooper Norman was a State Trooper following procedure, You are correct the "punishment will not fit", because he should NOT be punished for doing his job. Trooper Norman and the Norman family my thoughts and prayers are with you today as always. Thank you for serving our community for the past 15yrs. "

Bama Hog wrote on Jun 28, 2007 7:20 AM:

" 1105 what are you talking about? He killed an innocent man. You are obvsiously a biased attached obvserve or a militant cop. "

Hogrider wrote on Jun 28, 2007 7:35 AM:

" So 1105...if the "movement" Hamely made was so threatening, why didn't a single other officer shoot? Trooper Norman is lucky he got off as easy as he did. If any other citizen had "defended" himself or other citizens similarly, they would be in prison for murder 2. "

Deacon wrote on Jun 28, 2007 7:40 AM:

" 1105....If there was no crime commited then why is he appearing in court for sentencing, why did he plead guilty to charges against him. If anyone read the story (with the word trooper omited) it would sound like any other criminals ordeal with the system. 1105 you are in denial. I hope this will make 'others' THINK before taking action upon the innocent. "

bentley12 wrote on Jun 28, 2007 8:00 AM:

" Absolutely 1105! Trooper Norman is NOT a "bad cop" and never could be. He has dedicated his life - as has Mary - to law enforcement and serving and protecting our community. Officers are trained to serve and protect us and mistakes are made in that profession as with any other. This one cost a young life which is absoultey horrible and I feel for the young man's family. Trooper Norman pled guilty b/c he did shoot the young man. The majority of you don't know Mr. Norman or his family and don't know what kind of man he is and you shouldn't be attacking him. God Bless You Larry and Mary. God Bless the Hamley family. "

ozarks wrote on Jun 28, 2007 8:28 AM:

" This is just such a sad story for all. It is sad a challenged young man died. I can understand the hurt of both families. This makes me understand even more, how life can change in the wink of an eye for so many. I trust, no matter the sentence, the system has done the best it can. I turst the judge and will support his decision. Nothing will bring the young man back and I can only hope he he is at peace. "

prtzman wrote on Jun 28, 2007 9:02 AM:

" I think "mumbles" hit the nail square on the head. I am of the exact same opinion. I wouldn't call Officer Norman a murderer, and I don't really think that anyone is. But he did make SEVERAL serious mistakes, despite all of his training. And he should be held accountable. I also have a feeling that when his sentence is handed down that most people in this community, myself included, won't think that it was severe enough. "

mumbles wrote on Jun 28, 2007 9:15 AM:

" For those of you who still don't get it...had Trooper Norman followed his training, he would have been directing traffic on the scene as he was instructed to do by the officer in charge. He wouldn't even have been in a position to fire his weapon. His job was to protect the public, keeping traffic away from the situation and possible gunfire. Larry Norman may be a good man, father, neighbor or whatever, but he certainly wasn't a good officer. A good officer follows orders instead of ignoring them just so he can "get in on the action". "

JLY wrote on Jun 28, 2007 10:52 AM:

" he served the community for 15 years mistakes happen it is a tragedy put yourself out there thinking of your wife and kids not knowing if this man has a gun and is going to kill you "

the authority wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:02 AM:

" "Hamley was lying on his back when shot but may have been trying to turn on his stomach" There is no way to prove this, so why write it? This is assuming and does not belong in an article that is supposed to report facts. "

mumbles wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:32 AM:

" the authority - The paper is just reporting what the grand jury said, read it again. It also says MAY have, not actually did. Again, this is from testimony heard by the grand jury, not the newspaper's storytelling. They ARE reporting the facts. "

shameful wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:33 AM:

" Hellllo authority -- there were other police there to see this, a camera on the situation, and there's the coroner's report and police reports! This is a sad situation all around. What a tragedy. "

Twinkie wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:43 AM:

" Well now - maybe this is gonna be like working for a newspaper. Judge Keith probably has BOTH sides irritated, which means it's a fair sentence. Ninety days is a whole lot better than just probation, but no where near what some folks want, and way more than others believe to be appropriate. Where's he gonna do his 90 days? Benton County Jail??????? "

mumbles wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:56 AM:

" For one, I am satisfied with the punishment. I don't think Norman is a dangerous criminal and needs to be kept locked away for an extended period. He DOES have to be punished though, mistake or not. No one should be exempt from paying for their crimes. I just wished his community service had been speaking to other law enforcement officers about the danger of having a "cowboy cop" attitude...you know, shoot then ask questions. "

HELLO wrote on Jun 28, 2007 12:15 PM:

" Think about this, the kid that they thought it was what was his name? adam ledford? (i think) what was it he done ? escaped from some sort of detention facility? i wonder how he feels about the whole situation and i wonder if he sits and thinks how this could have been him, and if it was him the police officer probably wouldnt even be in this situation. what would it be called then "justified killing" all for a reason? Shooting someone is not the answer, no matter who you are and for him getting just 90 days he needs to feel very lucky. "

clucknot wrote on Jun 28, 2007 12:54 PM:

" Yeah.He's going to do DUI time for taking an innocent life.I agree he's probably a good person at heart,but he definitely deserves much more time than 90 days.That's not much more than what Paris Hilton got.God Bless the family of the deceased. "

justalocal wrote on Jun 28, 2007 1:05 PM:

" It is so easy for people to judge when it is someone elses life they are judging.None of us know what we would of done in the same circumstances as we were not there and not faced with it. Police now days have so much to deal with, their lifes are always in danger,we don't have a clue what it is like to live like that. He will have to live with his actions for the rest of his life.. be it right or wrong. "

masonstorm1958 wrote on Jun 28, 2007 1:42 PM:

" He should have went to prison for taking an innocent life. My understanding is he was on the scene less than two minutes when he killed this man. That is in no way enough time to evaluate a situation and come up with a viable solution. This is not combat where such a thing occurs by instinct more than any thought out reasoning. This situation with the police officer has all the earmarks of " Shoot first and ask questions later" mentality. That in itself indicates such an attitude is strongly prevalent in our local law enforcement. I hope not, for that does not bode well for the innocent. It also speaks of do not question the police authority or you will be shot. By the very nature of our republic we are taught to question authority. Especially when it becomes personal. And we all know all you have to do is make one big mistake and eveything else you have acheived in life becomes moot. So what all this tells me is next time I have any kind of dealings with the police authorities my life will be in danger. If they feel threatened in any manner they have the right to shoot you and sort it out later. That does nothing to enhance respect of the law. Just the opposite. Don't get me wrong, law enforcement has its place, but they need to remember, and put into practice, not only enforce the law but to make sure the "

Bama Hog wrote on Jun 28, 2007 1:50 PM:

" you have got to be kidding me. "

pgjohnw wrote on Jun 28, 2007 2:18 PM:

" i'm glad i didnt have to decide how long, 90 days dosnt seam to fit the crime. should be longer. i have tremendous respect for the police, but if i'm driving and i change radio stations while going thru a school zone and kill a child, i go to jail. he may be a good guy but he deserves to go to jail. "

Twinkie wrote on Jun 28, 2007 3:08 PM:

" So does the fact that he was escorted from the courtroom by Benton County Sheriff Keith Ferguson mean that he will do the 90 days in the Benton County Jail. If so, please report if he gets 'trustee' status. If not, then where?? "

Aztlan wrote on Jun 28, 2007 3:22 PM:

" Tragedy, yes, does the punishment fit the crime NO, some with so much "experience" should have been better at keeping his happy finger steady but since he got trigger happy he tries to make excuses that he thought the poor innocent man was going to hurt him, give me a break now he only serves 90 days in jail and gets to keep on living a normal life, i hope the family gets some kind of justice because this is by far unfair to them...just because he was on officer. "

Ozarkguy62 wrote on Jun 28, 2007 5:37 PM:

" This is just a symptom of the overall problem. We have people with a minimum education level (high school or GED), minimal training (Arkansas Police Academy), low pay and low standards to stay employed performing a very demanding job. With police departments we get what we pay for. I feel the solution is to have much higher standards, higher pay and a great deal of citizen involvement (a citizen oversite committee would be helpful). This will not be the last time that something like this will happen in our area. It is well past time that we allow these police departments to act as independent paramilitary agencies. "

1105 wrote on Jun 28, 2007 6:17 PM:

" To Ozark Guy Our officers in NWA have more than minimum education. Some are college graduates. As for your statement minimal training " Arkansas Police Academy", These officers are always in training, do you realize what training they receive at the Academy. Do you realize how many hours of additional training they receive each month, No you don't or you would not have mis-spoken. Our Officers are underpaid, but they are NOT uneducated as you would have people to believe. They are underpaid you did get that right. "

moonglow wrote on Jun 28, 2007 6:35 PM:

" A Neosho, Mo. cop gave a minor girl a bottle of booze and later she died from wrecking her car. The cop will at most have the same sentence as this cop in this story. Why are these abusers and killers that call themselves law enforcement officers allowed less punishment than the rest of society? This does reflect a country wide POLICE STATE existenceIf anything they should be punished more severly than a guy with a joint. "

Archemayus wrote on Jun 28, 2007 8:28 PM:

" Unprofessional. I'm glad to see that his family is satisfied though, and I wish them best. This guy will never be able to live a normal life. If he is infact, uneducated, then he can probably never get a good paying job after this incident. Then he has to live with the fact that he killed the kid, and he'll have to explain it to future employers. Sounds worse than life in prison to me. "

moonglow wrote on Jun 28, 2007 9:11 PM:

" I am sure he will find para-military work from fellow officers. Like,1105. "

1105 wrote on Jun 28, 2007 9:27 PM:

" To moonglow: You are wrong: I am NOT an officer. "

getreal wrote on Jun 28, 2007 10:16 PM:

" 1105, I think it is a good thing you are not an officer with the attitude that you have. After reading from you I had to register just so I could respond. "

getreal wrote on Jun 28, 2007 10:37 PM:

" To 1105. I think it is a good thing you are not an officer. I don't think biasment belongs on the force. "

getreal wrote on Jun 28, 2007 10:47 PM:

" Tragedy all the way around. 1105, Do you have children? "

woo wrote on Jun 29, 2007 2:07 PM:

" Has anyone thought about this? If this man was mentally challanged...and not capable of following basic commands...then why in the world was he on the streets by himself??? Why wasn't he supervised????? If this was the case, then this would have never happened. "

Deacon wrote on Jun 29, 2007 6:49 PM:

" Well WOO , for one thing he WAS an adult of legal age who was as free to walk the streets as anyone else. And he obviously "OBEYED COMMANDS" or else he would not have been on the ground when he was shot and killed. Apparently the state of Arkansas didn't feel that he needed 24/7 supervision or else they would have assigned him a case worker. I guess what one state agency won't take care of, another one will ! If I were hearing impaired I would scared to death to walk the streets, for fear that an officer might come up behind me, thinking I was someone else. "

moonglow wrote on Jun 30, 2007 3:07 AM:

" Woo, It's called emancipation. It happens when the age of 18 has been reached by humans. "

1105 wrote on Jul 2, 2007 5:37 PM:

" And to all of those who are caregivers understand that when someone can NOT take care of themselves whether, 18 or 81, the caregiver is the one who is responsible for this person, who care for, you make sure they are safe.That is your responsibility. An 18 yr old l with a mental capacity of an 8 yr is is not capable of being responsible or able to walk the streets in Springdale As to the question " do I have children?" not for sure why it matters, but my children are well cared for and are very much loved are are never allowed to be on any street alone, they are supervised at parks at malls and at grocery stores, I love my children.I take full responsiblity for their well being. Any other questions "

Bama Hog wrote on Jul 3, 2007 12:49 PM:

" 1105, yeah, I have some. 1. What is your connection to Norman? and 2. Okay, let's say that I we all agree if you are a caregiver, you do have a responsiblity to take care of the person in your charge. Good enough. However, if that person fails to do so, does that make it okay for a cop to just shoot you because he ignores the rules, the training, and common sense? "

maljoir wrote on Jul 4, 2007 12:24 AM:

" Again the funny thing is that everyone is an expert on the field of Law Enforcement. There is a difference between right, wrong and the Law (Legal explainations and definitions, not tv law). There is a difference between misdmeanors and felony's, state and federal law. Not sure what they are? Go take a college course. "

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