a day ago
Yell County residents react to deputy fired over video with racist slur
DANVILLE, Ark. — The Yell County Sheriff's Department has fired a deputy after they say a video surfaced online of him using a racist slur.
According to a statement from Yell County Sheriff R. Nick Gault, Jaxon Arndt allegedly uses 'obscene and racist language,' followed by an enthusiastic shout.
Yell County deputy fired after using racial slur, weapon in controversial video
Mike Beasley lives in Yell County and saw the video for the first time on Monday.
'It ain't no good man,' Beasley stated. 'There are not a lot of Black people over here.'
When asked if the video was hard for him to believe, Beasley said, 'No.'
'I'm not in disbelief, but I do know a lot of cops here, a lot of them. I think they're good cops,' Beasley added.
Monday morning, Sheriff Gault issued a full-page statement posted to the department's social media. Gault said when he learned of the video, he took immediate action and terminated Arndt.
'This type of behavior is deplorable and not at all in accordance with the values, ethics, and mission of a commissioned law enforcement officer in the state of Arkansas,' the statement reads.
Hate groups in the US decline but their influence grows, report shows
Isai Murillo lives in Yell County. He said he hopes the termination shows that nobody else can get away with something similar.
'As a brown guy, it's pretty scary,' Murillo said. 'I just want to see the department do better. You know, make us feel a lot safer than it already is.'
Sheriff Gault said moving forward, Yell County will enroll deputies in additional mandatory training about racial discrimination and social media behaviors.
'I think they should be fired if they say that. You know what I mean. I think that should be a career-ending moment,' Beasley said.
Gault said Arndt was a new hire who, in April, graduated as part of the Camden, Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) Basic Police Training Class 2025-A. The program is 13 weeks long.
Arndt was formerly a Yell County jailer and completed a 56-hour jail standards course in 2023.
Student who was called racial slur on North Carolina school bus speaks out
KARK 4 News attempted to reach out to former deputy Arndt, but he delisted his social media after the news broke. Sheriff Gault said he had no other way to reach him when asked.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
