A deputy at the Accomack County Jail was caught on video slamming an inmate against a wall, then pushing the shackled and handcuffed man to the ground inside a holding cell.
A criminal complaint stated that Deputy Luke Arnold's use of force against a fully restrained person was excessive and not acceptable. Arnold was sentenced to 90 days for assault and battery, but all the time was suspended — meaning no jail time. He lost his job and wound up on a list of officers who have been decertified.
Arnold's case is one of a growing number. According to data provided to the WTKR News 3 Investigative Team by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, 6 officers were placed on the decertification list in 2019, compared to 83 in 2025.
Harvey Powers, Chief Deputy Director for the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services — the agency responsible for regulating, enforcing, and overseeing the decertification of law enforcement and jail officers in the state— said the consequences of decertification are severe.
"It is truly a profound step that removes them, generally, from ever being employed in law enforcement, as a law enforcement professional anywhere in the country," Powers said.
Powers said the spike in numbers is tied directly to changes in state law.
"The numbers for decertification submissions to the Commonwealth of Virginia have grown dramatically in the past 5 or 6 years and that is because the code has changed, and the reasons that justify submission for decertification have changed. So, you will see a growth in numbers, because there are more conditions under which a person would qualify for decertification," Powers said.
He said among the changes that followed a special legislative session in 2020 was a stricter standard around truthfulness.
"Some of the newer aspects for decertification that were recently put in after the special session of 2020, include, matters of truthfulness, and an enforcement of even the most minor of truthfulness issues, something that if you are in pretty much any other occupation, may not rise to the level of being something that would impact your work performance. In law enforcement, it is viewed as something that, if nothing else, you must be 100% truthful and so that's what we've seen some remarkable changes in that specifically," Powers said.
Attorney Andrew Meyer, who represents officers who find themselves in trouble. He goes through the appeal process with them in an effort to get their jobs back. He said he has seen the increase firsthand.
"I have seen more decertifications come through my office, a lot more in the past 3 years than prior," Meyer said.
Meyer said the legal changes have made it easier to strip officers of their certifications.
"The change has basically made it easier to decertify an officer," Meyer said.
He said the current laws do not allow for enough discretion by the Department of Criminal Justice Services or the agencies themselves, and that the pace of decertifications is not sustainable.
Meyer said he believes the intent behind the legal changes were good in the hopes of removing officers that were problematic, but that the execution has gone too far.
" In actuality what they did is they just broadened the scope and made it very easy to decertify some of these officers, and a lot of officers who've been decertified shouldn't have been decertified," Meyer said.
Powers said the agency is committed to fulfilling its obligations to the public.
"The system employs human beings, and I understand that a community wants the highest performers to fill such a delicate and necessary role and so, we are here to fulfill our statutory obligations to make sure that the accountability and the transparency that communities demand is served," Powers said.
As for Arnold, his lawyer previously issued WTKR the following statement:
"Mr. Arnold has accepted full responsibility for his actions by entering a guilty plea. This incident was an isolated, momentary lapse in judgment during a heated exchange, and it stands in stark contrast to his 14 years of honorable, unblemished service in law enforcement.
Mr. Arnold feels deep remorse for this mistake. He has already faced severe, life-altering consequences, including the loss of his career and his law enforcement certification. He is now focused on moving forward as a private citizen.
We ask for privacy for Mr. Arnold and his family, and will have no further comment.”
