Arkansas police department sued over deleted Facebook post

wireready_08-08-2018-16-16-02_03323_lawsuit2

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (AP) _ A federal lawsuit alleges an Arkansas police
department violated free-speech rights when the agency deleted links posted to
its public Facebook page.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports attorney Kesha M. Chiappinelli on
Monday filed the lawsuit against Walnut Ridge Mayor Charles Snapp and former
police chief Chris Kirksey.

The lawsuit says William Whitfield Hyman and Natalie Hyman posted links on the
department’s Facebook page to body camera footage of a December 2016 arrest. The
lawsuit says the posts were later deleted. The Hymans are seeking for the posts
to be restored.

Snapp didn’t immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment
Tuesday.

John Tull is a lawyer for the Arkansas Press Association. He says much of the
case will depend on whether the social media platform is deemed a “public
forum” or “limited public forum.”

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI