Former Helena-West Helena police chief arrested for DWI, then resigns
Former Helena-West Helena police chief James Mayfield was arrested for DWI on I-30 in Little Rock at 3:05 a.m. Sunday, then resigned from Capitol Police the next day.
James Mayfield, the former Helena-West Helena police chief, resigned from Arkansas Capitol Police one day after a Pulaski County deputy arrested him on DWI charges during a stop on I-30 in Little Rock.
A Pulaski County sheriff's deputy pulled over Mayfield at 3:05 a.m. July 19, and the arrest report identified him as 47. The stop, which happened on I-30, was tied to speeding and swerving. The report also said the deputy saw a Capitol Police badge indicating the rank of sergeant.
The arrest report described more troubling details inside the vehicle. It said Mayfield had bloodshot eyes and that an open 12-ounce can of Bud Light was sitting on the seat beside him. Other accounts tied to the stop said charges also included driving left of center and refusing a chemical test.
The Arkansas Secretary of State's office said Mayfield resigned the next day, making the case a fast-moving personnel matter for the state agency that oversees Capitol Police. The timeline, from the 3:05 a.m. traffic stop to the resignation the following day, put an immediate spotlight on a sworn officer who had once held one of the most visible local law-enforcement jobs in Phillips County.
Mayfield had announced his retirement as Helena-West Helena police chief in January 2022 before later serving with Capitol Police. His arrest now links two departments that carry public trust in very different settings, one in Helena-West Helena and the other at the state Capitol, while leaving both with another reminder of how quickly an off-duty or on-duty arrest can reverberate through a community that depends on law enforcement for credibility.
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