Complaint accusing sheriff candidate of giving helicopter ride dismissed

BENTONVILLE — The Arkansas Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint filed against Benton County sheriff candidate Shawn Holloway concerning him allowing a relative to ride on the sheriff’s office helicopter.

The commission issued its written decision on the complaint filed by Terry Thurman, a Rogers relative. The April 2016 complaint accused Holloway of taking the helicopter to his parents farm and flying relatives around Benton County and to Beaver Lake for 2 to 6 hours.

Holloway is currently chief deputy for the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and a candidate for the Benton County sheriff. He was serving as a major for the Sheriff’s Office in January 2014 when the helicopter ride took place.

Holloway is the Republican nominee on the ballot in November for sheriff. He'll face Glenn Latham, and independent.

According to the commission’s letter, there was a 2-1 vote to dismiss the complaint.

According to the letter, Holloway invited his father to go on the Jan. 21, 2014 helicopter ride before Holloway and the pilot picked up his father and took him on a training flight around Benton County.

The commission found evidence that other civilians had been allowed to fly on the helicopter and there was little deviation in the flight plan, according to the letter.

The letter states that the pilot needed to land briefly and Holloway’s father’s farm was a safe and convenient location.

The commission found that there was insufficient evidence to find that Holloway’s actions constituted a special privilege or exemption as defined by Arkansas law.

Holloway had not returned messages seeking comment on the complaint early Monday afternoon.

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