**Three police reports spanning five years paint a troubling picture of a Batesville elected official.**
—
Fred Krug has served as Alderman for Ward 2, Position 1 on the Batesville City Council. He also holds a leadership role at St. Paul’s Church, where he has described himself as “second in command” when the priest is away. Public records obtained through FOIA requests reveal three separate police incidents involving Krug between 2019 and 2024, each raising questions about his fitness for public office.
All documents referenced in this article are official Batesville Police Department reports obtained through lawful FOIA requests.
## 2022: Sexual Solicitation at a Church
On October 1, 2022, Kristi Dodds went to St. Paul’s Church on Main Street in Batesville seeking help paying a utility bill. According to Batesville Police Department Incident Report #22-00551, filed November 1, 2022, by Lt. Brenda Bittle:
Dodds was met by Krug, who told her he was “second in command at the church” and that the priest was not there. The report states that Krug told Dodds “he could help her with the money she was needing **in return for sexual favors**.”
Dodds refused. According to the report, Krug then went into the church and obtained money for the bill anyway.
The incident was classified under Arkansas Code 5-70-103, Sexual Solicitation, a misdemeanor. The victim is identified by name in the police report as the complainant. The suspect is identified as Eugene Fred Krug of 599 Bates Street, Batesville.
**What the record shows:** A formal police report documenting an allegation that a sitting city alderman, acting in a position of authority at a church, solicited sexual favors from a woman who came seeking financial help for a utility bill.
**What we don’t know:** Whether this case was prosecuted, referred to a grand jury, or otherwise resolved. We have filed a FOIA request for the disposition of this case.
## 2019: Suspected Vehicle Keying and a “Conflict of Interest”
On April 5, 2019, Ashley Cook reported to police that her 2019 Cadillac Escalade had been keyed at the North Complex on East Main Street, causing an estimated $4,000 in damage (Incident Report #19-00216, Officer Melissa Wilkey).
Krug was present at the scene and initially presented himself as a witness. He told Officer Wilkey he had seen “a group of Hispanics” in a light-colored vehicle with “Girl Gang” written on the window near Cook’s car. He could not describe the individuals or provide a detailed description of the vehicle.
After Krug left the scene, Cook told police she believed Krug was actually the person who keyed her vehicle. The motive: a dispute between parents of Batesville High School baseball players and Krug’s son, Brian Krug, who was the baseball coach. Cook told police that Brian Krug had been terminated as coach following a meeting on April 3, 2019, and that Fred Krug blamed the Cook family.
Two points stand out in the police report:
1. **Krug’s description of the alleged suspects was vague and racially charged.** He told police “Hispanics” were responsible but could not describe them or provide meaningful vehicle details. Cook’s husband, Mark Cook, told police that when he called Krug to confront him, Krug “started rambling on about a vehicle with four Hispanics.”
2. **The case was transferred due to “conflict of interest.”** On August 22, 2019, Officer Wilkey noted: “Batesville Police Department requested assistance from the Independence County Sheriff’s Office in regards to this case due to conflict of interest.” The report does not explain the nature of the conflict, but Krug’s position as a city alderman is the most apparent explanation for why city police could not investigate a case involving him as the primary suspect.
**What the record shows:** A sitting alderman was the primary suspect in a criminal mischief case that city police could not investigate due to a conflict of interest, likely arising from his elected position. His account of the incident involved unsubstantiated claims about Hispanic suspects.
**What we don’t know:** What happened after the case was transferred to the Independence County Sheriff’s Office. We have filed a FOIA request for the final disposition.
## 2024: Confronting Officers During an Active Arrest
On March 27, 2024, Batesville police officers were responding to a report of a man armed with a knife near Central School. Sgt. Shane Hightower, Patrolman Nate Simmons, and Patrolman Kody Headley located and detained the suspect in the 500 block of Bates Street (in front of 599 Bates Street, Krug’s home address).
Three separate officer reports document what happened next:
While officers were searching the suspect, Sgt. Hightower noticed someone approaching from behind. Patrolman Simmons shone his flashlight toward the approaching figure. It was Fred Krug.
Krug told Simmons: **”Get that out of my damn face.”**
When Simmons asked him to repeat himself, Krug said it again. And then a third time. Simmons did not initially recognize Krug in the dark.
Patrolman Simmons’ report notes that Krug’s approach from behind during an active arrest was a serious distraction: “after the distraction Simmons realized that his attention should be focused on the suspect with warrants who could possibly still have a weapon.”
After the suspect was arrested, Krug did not leave. Instead, he began asking Simmons about the incident and then shifted the conversation to **police department politics**: “Krug asked Simmons about who the officer wanted the new police chief to be. Krug added that there were only two applicants and the city counsel was voting on it in a few weeks.”
As an alderman, Krug would have a direct vote on the police chief selection. His attempt to gauge or influence a patrol officer’s preference during a call, in the dark, on the street, raises obvious concerns about appropriate boundaries.
**What the record shows:** Three officers independently documented that a city alderman approached them from behind during a potentially dangerous arrest, was confrontational when challenged, and then attempted to discuss internal police personnel matters with a patrol officer.
## The Pattern
Taken individually, each incident might be explained away. Taken together, they suggest a pattern:
– **Abuse of position:** Using a church leadership role to solicit sexual favors from a vulnerable person; using an alderman’s authority to influence police personnel decisions
– **Confrontational behavior with law enforcement:** Approaching officers during an active arrest and repeatedly telling an officer to “get that out of my damn face”
– **Unresolved accountability:** A criminal mischief case that could not be investigated by city police due to his position; a sexual solicitation case with no publicly known resolution
Fred Krug continues to serve on the Batesville City Council.
## Outstanding Questions
1. What is the disposition of the sexual solicitation case (#22-00551)? Was it prosecuted?
2. What did the Independence County Sheriff’s Office determine about the vehicle keying case (#19-00216)?
3. Has any formal complaint been filed regarding Krug’s attempt to discuss police chief selection with a patrol officer?
4. Has the Batesville City Council ever reviewed these incidents?
—
*Sources: Batesville Police Department Incident Report #22-00551 (Dodds/Krug, sexual solicitation, filed 11/1/2022 by Lt. Brenda Bittle); Incident Report #19-00216 (Cook/Krug, criminal mischief, filed 4/7/2019 by Officer Melissa Wilkey); Officer statements dated 3/27-3/28/2024 from Sgt. Shane Hightower, Ptlm. Nate Simmons, and Ptlm. Kody Headley. All documents obtained via FOIA.*