SHERIFF MIKE KNOEDL - WEEKLY UPDATE 8/8/2025

Good morning,

If you follow my personal Facebook page, you may have read a post this week about the families of victims from the June 21 shooting incident in Fordyce. I witnessed some of the strongest people in my career give victim impact statements about how this horrific incident has affected their lives. I hope and pray this will begin to provide all of these families with some peace and strength to move forward. It has been a very rough year for our town and county since that very dark day. Please continue to pray for grace and healing for everyone involved.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with two of our deputy United States attorneys. Most people are unaware that we have two deputies who serve as joint task force officers with the FBI. What does this mean? Since working closely with the FBI, we are prosecuting some drug cases through the federal system. There are more severe penalties involving larger quantities of drugs and enhancements involving firearms/drugs. We are running into the "switches" that enable someone to take a semi-automatic weapon and convert it into a fully automatic weapon. These weapons are becoming more prevalent among people involved in drive-by shootings and drug-related violence. We are committed to working with any and all federal agencies to take these types of weapons off our streets. Anyone who is caught and convicted of possessing a switch may receive an automatic 10-year enhancement in federal prison. My message is, as always, keep dealing drugs here, and we will eventually meet someday and, if you're lucky, maybe get to meet a federal agent too!!

With most schools across Arkansas starting the new school year on Monday, August 11th, I want to remind everyone to drive carefully in school zones and during morning and afternoon hours when buses are transporting children to and from their homes.

Please remember, when a school bus stops and displays its alternating red warning lights to load or unload passengers, every operator of a motor vehicle or motorcycle meeting or overtaking the school bus from any direction shall bring the motor vehicle or motorcycle to a complete stop no closer than thirty feet from the school bus.

 The operator of the motor vehicle or motorcycle shall not start up or attempt to pass in any direction until the school bus has finished receiving or discharging its passengers and is in motion again.

Please take a look at the illustration below for information on the legal requirements for stopping for a school bus.

Now, it's on to Felony Friday:

Turner, Javaris of Fordyce; FPD Battery 3rd, Fleeing, Resisting Arrest

Juniel, Mario of Sparkman; Contempt Failure to Pay

Cooper-Murphy, Samantha of Rison; Holding for Other Agency

Gardner, Jackie of Bearden; Failure to Appear

Kaul, Marlo of Fordyce; Resisting Arrest, Third Degree Escape, Public Intoxication, Disorderly

Conduct, Terroristic Threatening

Juniel, Mario of Sparkman; Loitering

Brown, Patrick of Fordyce; FPD Contempt Failure to Pay, Driving with Suspended DL

Stay Safe and God Bless!

Sheriff Mike Knoedl