Searcy (LP) Searcy is the largest city of White County with a population of 23,768. In Searcy, everyone pretty much knows everyone. All of our parents grew up with our friends’ parents, so everybody is familiar with one another. If any crimes happen is Searcy, it’s usually called a “petty crime.” A petty crime is a crime that’s not considered as important compared to other crimes. For example, a kid stealing candy from our local supermarket, shoplifting at Wal-Mart, or even stealing a few stop signs. Although in the past the crime rate wasn’t so high, the past two years Searcy has been the hotspot of killings. For a town this small, it’s huge! There is more to Searcy than just petty crimes.
On January 21st, a call was made to the Searcy Police Department saying there was a fight in progress at the White County Fairgrounds. Patrolmen Todd Dewitt was called to the scene. When arrived, Dewitt observed the victim, Jeremy Heffington, “lying on the ground, with a bloody nose and was unresponsive.” Chad Alexander stated that he and Heffington got into a screaming battle over a t-shirt. Alexander then said that Heffington began “mouthing” at him and attacked him from behind while trying to get into his car. Things got out of hand and Alexander beat him nearly to death. Alexander and Heffington were said to have been under the influence of alcohol. At court Alexander took the stand and addressed Huffington’s mother, Sherryl Wisemen. “Ma’am, I apologize so much for what happened to Jeremy. I feel so sorry for what happened and I apologize to you and your family.” Sherryl took the stand and mentioned that she sat with her son for three straight weeks, watching his body shut down. Her son died on her birthday and Alexander was charged with manslaughter for four years.
On August 11th, police responded in the 800 block of West Park at 9:30 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found 24-year-old Davion Bankhead suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the chest area. Davion was transported to the local hospital and was pronounced dead roughly an hour after the shooting occurred. Nineteen-year-old, Searcy Alumni Justice Cunningham has been charged with capital murder for the crime. Lieutenant Todd Wells stated “capital murder is the most serious crime a person can commit. You could spend the rest of your life in prison or even get the death penalty.” A bond has not yet been set.
Any crime can happen at anytime, so it’s important to have a few tips up your sleeve. Officer Terri Lee said, “The police department encourages people to be aware of your surroundings, be in groups when in unfamiliar places, obey the state laws and local ordinances. There is no way to guarantee anyone’s safety in a given situation, but these could help reduce the chances of problem solving.” It is crucial to always be safe and to keep out of trouble. Searcy is one of the best and safest places, but even the safest towns have some crime. Lock the doors, secure all windows, and most importantly stay safe!
