Bulletin Staff

HARRISON – The six woman, six man jury in the Dan Sutterfield trial now is viewing a video tape of a conversation between Sutterfield and Bull Shoals officer Brian Williams, who also responded to the July 9, 2013, domestic call where Sutterfield allegedly physically abused Nicholas Dore once he was handcuffed.

In the video, Sutterfield tells Williams that City Prosecutor Kenford Carter told Sutterfield to tell Williams not to talk to Dore. Williams twice denied on the video talking to Dore.

Bull Shoals Police officer David Chatman testified Tuesday that as the situation escalated at the home where Dore was living, Williams fled the residence in tears.

In earlier testimony, Marion County Sheriff'sOffice jailer Jesse Schefdore told the jury that Dore's handcuffs where the tightest he'd ever encountered.

He said the cuffs left "big marks" on Dore's wrists, and Dore had a bloody bandage on his head.

Schefdore's testimony followed Dore, who allegedly was tased, kicked, beaten with a shotgun and thrown by Sutterfield.

After the prosecution went over Dore's background and military career, he began to explain the events of July 9, 2013.

"Once they were in the house on top of me, everything was a tornado," Dore said about what happened after Bull Shoals Police Department broke down the door.

"I was struck hard enough to render me unconscious," he said of when Sutterfield allegedly hit him in the head with a shotgun.

Dore is the fourth witness to testify in the second day of the trial.

FBI agent Tim K. Akins was the third witness to testify and talked about interviewing Bull Shoals officer David Chatman.

"I would say it was about 45 minutes into the interview when Mr. Chatman stated being honest with us," he explained.

Akins said the FBI seized tasers and shotguns from Bull Shoals Police Department.

Testifying before Akins was Flippin Police Chief Dusty Smith, who testified that his department quit cooperating with Bull Shoals Police Department in 2012.

Smith said his department only would send police to Bull Shoals if a Bull Shoals police officer or a citizen's life was in danger. Smith also testified once Chatman was hired at Bull Shoals, Chatman quickly got choice criminal investigations and narcotics work there, despite other officers having more experience.

Smith said Chatman is not eligible to be rehired at Flippin.

Earlier today, the jury heard from fellow Bull Shoals police officer David Chatman, who testified he wrote a false report to protect his job.

Testimony by Chatman began Tuesday afternoon after the jury heard from Dore's live-in- girlfriend, Cleta Almond. Chatman's testimory continued this morning when Chatman substantiated the government's charge of filing a false report.

"Chief Sutterfield told me what to write," Chatman told the jury about the incident report he wrote on the Dore arrest.

Chatman also admitted on the stand that he lied to FBI agents investigating the incident both about what was and was not written in the report of the Dore arrest.

Under examination by the defense, Chatman admitted he was forced to resign from Boone County Sheriff's Office after medication turned up missing. Chatman also admitted he resigned from Flippin Police Department after a female employee alleged he inappropriately touched her. He testified that he resigned because he feared newspaper coverage should the allegation come to light in front of Flippin City Council.

Just prior to a 10:30 a.m. break, Chatman was released from testifying.

Early this morning, U.S District Court Judge Timothy Brooks ruled that prosecutors can offer testimony from fellow police officer David Chatman that Sutterfield "bragged" about tasing a different handcuffed suspect, if prosecutors can provide more evidence about the alleged incident.

Sutterfield is on trial for a July 9, 2013, incident when he allegedly kicked, tased, beat with a shotgun and threw domestic-abuse suspect Nicholas Dore. Along with the excessive force charge, Sutterfield, 35, is charged with depriving Dore of his rights and attempting to cover it up by ordering Chatman to write a false report.

The case is being heard by a six-woman, six-man jury in court at the J. Smith Henley Federal Building and Courthouse in Harrison.