BENTONVILLE — A former Bella Vista police officer who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in connection with a shooting death in 2010 is the new police chief of Sulphur Springs.

Coleman “Duke” Brackney was hired as police chief by the City Council on March 14, according to Seth Bickett, city attorney.

Bickett said Brackney was to start work about two weeks after that meeting.

Brackney pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of negligent homicide following the Jan. 20, 2010, shooting death of James Ahern after Ahern led Brackney in a high-speed pursuit that ended near the corner of Harlan Lane and Arkansas 340. An unarmed Ahern was shot six times while in his car.

Ahern’s shooting was handled by the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Van Stone said he wasn’t contacted by any Sulphur Springs official concerning Brackney’s hiring.

“We have no say in who the police chief is in Sulphur Springs,” Stone said.

Brackney won a fight last year to keep his certification that kept him eligible to work as a law enforcement officer. The Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training allowed Brackney to keep his certification.

Stone said his office’s stance is Brackney is a qualified law enforcement officer.

“My office has no control over the certification of officers,” Stone said. “That decision is up to the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.”

Stone said his office doesn’t prosecute many cases from Sulphur Springs.

“In the rare instance we get a felony case from Sulphur, then we will work it as we work any other cases,” Stone said.

Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said Sulphur Mayor Bob Simon spoke with him about Brackney in a short conversation. Cradduck said Simon asked about Brackney personally, and Cradduck said he told Simon that Brackney had never lied to him.

Brackney was originally charged with manslaughter, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence ranging from three to 10 years. However, he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge.

Ahern was driving a Mazda Miata in the 2010 incident. It was learned his blood alcohol level was .21 and had been using marijuana, according to court documents. Ahern was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ahern’s family later filed a wrongful death suit against Brackney. A jury awarded the family $20,000, but didn’t award any money for punitive damages.

Brackney was fired from the Bella Vista Police Department after an internal investigation determined he violated department policy.