Kind of a weird story out of Bull Shoals, where sitting police chief Dan Sutterfield has been ordered by a federal judge to live with the town’s mayor, Bruce Powell, as a condition of his release from jail. Powell says he will not ask Sutterfield to step down.

Sutterfield was arrested earlier this week on federal charges of excessive force and falsifying a report in the July 2013 arrest of Nicholas Dore. The FBI alleges that Sutterfield violated Dore’s civil rights when — investigators say — he allegedly kicked, hit and  tased a handcuffed Dore after Dore was arrested on allegations of domestic violence. After the arrest, the FBI alleges, Sutterfield had one of his officers file “a false and misleading” report in the case. 

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 Mayor Powell tells the Baxter Bulletin that Sutterfield will retain his job, but his duties will be restricted as chief, including a prohibition against Sutterfield carrying a gun. In a video interview with the newspaper, Powell tells a reporter that his opinion of Sutterfield is still “very, very high,” saying that he’s received messages of encouragement from all over the state.

Sutterfield formerly served as police chief in Mayflower and Damascus, the Log Cabin Democrat reports. Prior to that, Sutterfield was an officer with the Bryant Police Department, and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office.

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