The Southern Standard: Gurdon city marshal, 5 officers suspended due to lack of training

By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard

The Arkansas Division of Law Enforcement Standards has suspended certification for six officers with the Gurdon Police Department, including the city’s elected city marshal, Don Childers as of Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.

According to Prosecuting Attorney Dan Turner, he was notified that Tuesday that six officers with the department had been suspended in February due to lack of continuing educational training.

The problems came to light following an audit of the GPD two years ago in September 2023 when Childers was told that if the six officers did not take the required training, they would be placed on civilian status, according to a letter Director Chris Chapman sent to Turner on Tuesday. The letter also states that a follow-up audit on Feb. 26 showed the officers still working without the proper training.

At that time, the letter states, all six men were notified by email that they were now on civilian status until they obtained the necessary hours. 

On Friday, another audit was conducted and it was discovered that the officers were still working despite no longer being authorized police officers. 

Officers listed in the letter were Childers, Toby Garner, Chris Russell, Jimmy Edwards, Mark Thomerson and John Calley. 

The letter also notes that the situation could “negatively impact” any citations and arrests issued by the officers since February. 

Asked about the situation, Gurdon Mayor Larry Thomerson said he learned last week of some training “deficiencies” within the department, “but I thought they had corrected them.”

Since Gurdon’s city marshal is an elected official, the mayor does not have direct supervision over the department.

On Wednesday, however, Thomerson said he was formally notified that even though Childers, Garner Russell had acted immediately to renew their training hours online, they have been suspended for working since February without proper certification.

Thomerson said the state has said they sent out an email to all officers regarding training in January; however, no one he talked to has reported receiving such an email. That includes his own son, Mark, who is a former game warden who now works as a police officer in Texas.

Mark Thomerson has never worked for the GPD, but in a common practice used throughout the state, he is listed on the department’s books, should he ever decide to move back to Arkansas and work in law enforcement.

Thomerson said Calvin Sergeant, the deputy director of law enforcement standards for the state told him that Childers “cannot work in any police capacity” until the matter is resolved.

While a formal date to address the suspensions has not been set, the mayor said he was told a hearing should be held in early November.

Turner, in a letter sent to Thomerson on Wednesday and obtained by The Southern Standard through the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, stated, “I have grave concerns about the issues I have been informed of in the last 24 hours and after consideration of these matters, have determined that I will no longer be accepting felony files from GPD  in light of these events. This is not a decision that I take lightly and I regret that I have been forced to take such serious action. However, the failure of officers to obtain such requisite certification, and perhaps more concerning, that the officers continued in service without remedying these deficiencies, causes me serious concern for the integrity of the files and matters presented to my office for review. I cannot in good conscience ignore these issues. Further, this erodes public trust in all of our law enforcement officers, our criminal justice system and the institutions and public at large we serve.”

To that end, Turner said he has sent a letter to District Judge Randy Hill and Circuit Judge Blake Batson asking them not to consider any arrest affidavits, search warrants or other applications or documents from the GPD until the matter is resolved. 

What happens now?

Turner stated that upon learning of the issues, he immediately contacted Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson to apprise him of the situation to ensure that Gurdon will continue to have law enforcement coverage.

In a press release, Watson said, “I want to assure the citizens of Gurdon that my office will provide law enforcement services, resources and support for the safety and protection of all citizens of the community of Gurdon. I will also work with the Gurdon Public Schools to make sure that there remains coverage and support for the schools in Gurdon with trained officers.” 

After meeting with officials Wednesday, the mayor stated that he notified the public via the city’s  Facebook page, noting in his message that the situation had “caught the city off guard.” He noted that the city will ensure law enforcement coverage with the help of the sheriff’s office.

Thomerson told the newspaper that he had directed that school traffic control continue and  that since School Resource Officer Kyle Dunn is also a CCSO employee, he is not impacted by the situation at the GPD. 

Anyone with emergency needs should call 911 and officers will respond accordingly, Watson said.

Because Watson cannot hire additional deputies without quorum court approval, Thomerson said part-time officers Thomas Free, Justin Tucker and Keithron Purifoy, who were in compliance on their training, will be retained to continue working in Gurdon under the auspices of the sheriff’s office until the GPD situation is resolved.

The mayor said he expects GPD patrol units to still be on the streets patrolling, “but they’ll just have county deputies in them for now.”

Thomerson said he plans on calling a special city council meeting to discuss the issue and to formulate a formal agreement with the county for police services until the suspensions are lifted. 

The mayor said Childers, Garner and Russell — the city’s only full-time officers — are still on the payroll and could possibly be assigned other duties within the city so as to be able to keep their health insurance current. 

“I have been in contact with Sheriff Watson and Judge [Troy] Tucker and we are going to continue to police people who break the law in Gurdon. I believe the sheriff’s office is up to the task,” Turner said.

A call made to Childers seeking comment was not returned.