Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wiley Fails Firearm Course; Ousted At NCSO

Stacy Wiley is no longer employed by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.

Wiley failed to qualify with her handgun on her second attempt at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden last week.

Earlier this year, Wiley failed to qualify at the firing range, but this was appealed and she was given a second chance.

Wiley, the first black female deputy in Nevada County history, after failing the firearm portion of the training the first time returned to the NCSO, where she worked in another capacity.

According to Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell, who is currently at the academy himself, there were mitigating circumstances surrounding Wiley's initial departure from the academy and return to the NCSO. He said shortly after arriving at the academy for training, her grandfather died and she wasn't allowed to come home for the funeral.

Firearm training, according to Richard Fought, public relations director for the academy, is held in the second week of training. Otwell said Wiley was at the top of her class otherwise during her first trip.

The Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) mandates any person hired as a law enforcement officer successfully complete a basic course within their first year after being hired.

Wiley was hired as a dispatcher Jan. 1, 1997 and promoted to deputy status on Nov. 1, 1997. On Nov. 1, the clock began ticking on her being trained as a deputy.

She was originally scheduled to begin training in Sept. 1998, but when a vacancy came open earlier, Wiley was sent to the academy.

"She had never shot a gun before in her life before she started the job," Otwell said. "The time I spent with her on the range impressed me with the way she handled the gun and how accurate she was. When she decided to go earlier, I honestly felt there would be no problem for her to qualify, especially with the people there."

Fought said the academy's ethics are strong and students must be able to perform. In training with firearms, he said, students get a total of eight opportunities and the entire second week of training is devoted to nothing but firearm training.

Candidates must score 80 percent in this course. Students get four opportunities in the morning and four more in the afternoon. If they fail, they get another chance to shoot at qualifying targets on Friday.

He said trainers work with the students as much as possible to give them the help they need to become certified and qualified law enforcement officers. "The state expects us to turn out qualified officers," Fought said.

Otwell said Wiley's nerves were shot when she was scheduled to qualify with the weapon the first time, and once she had failed she called and let him know.

He said the death of her grandfather could be considered an extenuating circumstance, and this is what the appeal was based on.

Wiley won the appeal, she had the one opportunity to qualify with her firearm. Had she qualified, she would have immediately return to the academy, starting at the third week of training.

By failing to qualify she is not allowed to work as an officer and can't return to the academy for two years.

Fought, in discussing the appeal system, said Wiley had to get on the docket as this is a state case, and let the commission decide. Training, he said, cannot be waived under any circumstances.

No laws are being violated with a person working as an officer during the first year, but, he said, once this year has lapsed, they must have either gone through the training or got an eight- month extension.

According to information available over the Internet from the Law Enforcement Standards Commission, a person failing to meet the minimum training requirements a second time will not be eligible for certification as a full-time, part-time, auxiliary or in any other law enforcement officer position.

Reappointment or re-employment as an officer will be considered after and only after the person in question has been separated from law enforcement for at least 24 months. If they return, they will have a new 12 months to be certified.

Failure a second time means the person cannot be a law enforcement officer in any capacity in the state of Arkansas.

With Wiley's second failure on the firing range, her employment with the NCSO has been terminated, and all county equipment returned to the department.