Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Royce Denney, the Arkansas State Trooper who found a gun and marijuana during a traffic stop of Arkansas State running back Michael Dyer in March, has been fired. He is appealing his July 27 employment termination.

Col. J.R. Howard of the State Police outlined three reasons for Denney's "termination of employment." All were directly related to the stop of Dyer in White County. Denney found a gun and drugs during the stop, but let Dyer leave with a traffic ticket.

• Howard states that Denney violated procedure by turning off the camera recording system inside his squad car (which recorded the video released earlier this week through a Freedom of Information Act request.)
• Denney used poor judgement in confiscating Dyer's weapon without legal justification. Arkansas State football coach Gus Malzahn said in a released statement on Wednesday that the gun had a permit and was located in Dyer's trunk at the time of the stop.
• And Denney committed a violation by "disposing of potential drug evidence discovered during the traffic stop", most likely marijuana.

Denney says in a letter to the Arkansas State Police Commission that while Howard uses the word "termination" and that the official rules and regulations prefer the terms "removal" and "discharge", "Whatever the appropriate term is, I hereby appeal the action. ..."

Denney served 11 years as an Arkansas State Trooper assigned to the department’s Highway Patrol Division.

Arkansas State Police Public Information Officer Bill Sadler said in an email sent to members of the media that FOIA requests for records associated with Denney's termination would not be released at this time.

The appeal process is now left to the Arkansas State Police Commission for consideration.