Arkansas reserve police officer to surrender in nude-images case

A police officer listed as inactive with the Shannon Hills Police Department who is accused of distributing improper images of his ex-girlfriend will surrender to police Tuesday, authorities said.

Lt. Cody Burk with the Pulaski County sheriff's office said Anthony Wayne "Tony" Smith has agreed to surrender Tuesday when he returns from a trip to Memphis. Smith faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful distribution of sexual images or recordings.

Burk said Smith sent nude photos of his ex-girlfriend to her current employer. Court documents say the incident occurred on Sept. 25.

A warrant for Smith's arrest was filed Monday at the Pulaski County courthouse, and officers reached out to Smith, who said he was in Memphis but would surrender upon his return, Burk said.

Smith owns the Little Rock K-9 Academy, which trains narcotics and patrol dogs for law enforcement agencies.

The academy's website says the Little Rock Police Department and Pulaski County sheriff's office have purchased animals from the academy. The academy's website lists Smith as a patrolman for the Shannon Hills Police Department.

Shannon Hills Assistant Police Chief Tim Dudderar said Smith has not been an active officer with the department for approximately two years but that he is listed as a reserve officer.

Dudderar said that because of Smith's arrest he will lose his position as a reserve officer now. He said Smith had been assigned to patrol when he worked at the Police Department but was active only occasionally during training exercises.

On Sept. 27, two days after court records allege that Smith sent the photos of his ex-girlfriend, the Pulaski County Circuit Court denied a woman's request for a protection order against Smith, according to court documents.

Judge W. Michael Reif said he denied the woman's petition for a protection order "for failure to state cause of action."

In May of 1991, the same court dismissed a charge of third-degree domestic battery against Smith.

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Metro on 07/26/2018

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