From Arrest Reports
Just over a month after being freed without having to post bond on a felony commercial burglary warrant, an Ozark Acres Suburban Improvement District Commissioner was arrested again June 29. This time, on a misdemeanor warrant for harassment of his girlfriend who had just broken up with him earlier the same day.
This time, Judge Mark Johnson decided the misdemeanor arrest warranted a $5,000 bond for Matthew King, 47, of Ozark Acres. According the arrest affidavit by Sharp County Deputy Bobby Glenn, King’s ex-girlfriend called Sharp County Dispatch on June to his sister’s house after work. After telling him she would not, the affidavit states that King told her he would instead come to her house. The ex-girlfriend told King not to come to her house either, to which he replied, “Then you better come to my sister’s.”
The woman described King’s Dodge, including the distinct lights within the grill and told officers she was afraid he was in the parking lot of her location waiting on her. Officer Glenn spotted the vehicle entering the parking lot where the woman was shortly thereafter and went and spoke to the driver, who he identified as King. He advised him his ex-girlfriend wished no further contact with him and advised him not to attempt to make contact with the female in any other way. At that point, the affidavit stated King agreed not to contact her and told the officer it was over.
After leaving, the officer traveled to the woman’s address she had provided him earlier to ensure King hadn’t went to her home to make contact with her. He discovered King’ outside of his parked truck near the ex-girlfriends address. By the time he turned around, King had left, apparently having seen his patrol unit.
Shortly after, the Ash Flat Police Department was dispatched to a call of a female being followed who had run into the sheriff’s department in fear for her safety. Ash Flat Officer Matthew Coggins had arrived at the sheriff’s department and advised Officer Glenn that King had followed her to the sheriff’s department.
King was arrested at the sheriff’s department. A 12 gauge loaded shotgun was taken from the back seat of his truck as officers retrieved King’s wallet at his request.
The affidavit states the shotgun was confiscated as a result of King’s felony commercial burglary arrest on June 23. The officer said that due to the felony arrest, King’s bond restrictions should prevent him from being in possession of a weapon. King was released on an Own Recognizance (OR) bond on May 24 felony by Sharp County District Judge Mark Johnson the same day.
In that case, Highland Police Chief Shane Russell saw King inside Forscheler’s Home Center in Highland when the store wasn’t open carrying a boxed air conditioner May 24. The arrest came after investigation was instigated on May 18 after several thousand dollars in cash and items had come up missing from King’s ex-employer’s store. The owners placed cameras in the store on May 6, in an attempt to catch the culprit. King was seen on video on a least one other occasion within the store after business hours. King was fired from Forschler’s other business, Tri-County Farm and Ranch in April, just weeks before money started coming up missing at the Home Center.
After being released from jail on the harassment charge, King rear ended a Hardy Police officer as he was attempting to make a turn from the bypass at Hardy. Chief Scott Rose said King said he was looking down when he impacted the Hardy Police Department vehicle, sending officer Jeremiah MacDonald to the hospital. The officer was released with minor injuries.
In light of the felony arrest, the Ozark Acres SID board took no action against King. On July 1, King sent a
letter of resignation from his recently appointed position with SID, claiming the allegations against him were false. King said in his apology to the public. “Due to recent allegations I find it best that I step down and resign from the board at this time, these false allegations in no way have anything to do with SID or any of you in this community.”
As of press time, King has not been officially charged with the Class C commercial burglary by the Third Judicial District’s Prosecuting Attorney’s office.
Tammy Curtis