The former D1 college basketball player was also punched multiple times
MISSISSIPPI COUNTY, Ark. (Sept. 10, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has been retained by Tedrick Washington Jr., 24, a former Division I basketball player who was pulled by his dreadlocks and punched in the face by an Arkansas state trooper during an Aug. 19 arrest in Blytheville.
Washington was a back-seat passenger in a vehicle being pursued by Arkansas State Police on Highway 18. After the pursuit ended, Trooper Theodore “Teddy” Henderson broke the rear window with a baton and, by his own report, grabbed Washington by the wrist and a handful of his hair to pull him through the opening. Henderson acknowledged punching him in the face, then striking him again on the ground. A Gosnell Police report states one of its officers also punched Washington.
Washington was charged with resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental operations. On Sept. 3, Arkansas State Police announced an internal review found no policy violations and no discipline for Henderson.
It is the second Mississippi County use-of-force incident last month to draw national attention after a video showed a trooper striking 18-year-old Alisa Hackett in the face during a traffic stop. The NAACP Arkansas State Conference and the Arkansas Democratic Party have called for an independent investigation into the agency’s use-of-force practices.
Attorney Crump released the following statement:
“This case raises serious concerns and questions about the use of force policies of the Arkansas State Police. It is ludicrous to think that the only option was to break the window, pull Tedrick by his dreadlocks through the broken glass, and punch him in the face –– repeatedly. Tedrick deserves full transparency, accountability, and answers about why he was treated so violently by those operating under the banner of ‘protect and serve.’”
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Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
