Arkansas State Police reports that former Eudora Police Chief 46-year-old Michael Pitts pleaded no contest to misdemeanor Third-Degree Battery charges in connection to an assault in Eudora on October 2023.

ASP’s Special Investigations Unit was requested to investigate the alleged crimes in November 2023. ASP arrested Pitts on January 30, 2024.

Authorities say Chief Pitts responded to an Eudora gas station following a request to remove a man who was causing a disruption at the business on October 26, 2023.

ASP investigators claim that Chief Pitts illegally detained 48-year-old John Hill Jr. and transported him to a remote location in Chicot County.

Pitts allegedly assaulted him and left him injured and stranded. Police say Pitts will receive a one-year suspended sentence and a $500 fine. He is also required not to have contact with the victim or the victim’s family.