FARMINGTON — Pea Ridge police officer Kevin Apple, who was killed in the line of duty June 26, started his law enforcement career with the Farmington Police Department in the late 1990s, according to Brian Hubbard, Farmington police chief.
Hubbard said Apple returned to Farmington in 2013 and worked there through January 2014, but left to take care of the family ranch before going to the Pea Ridge Police Department. Hubbard said Apple still had been working some for Farmington to help out with special events.
“Just knowing Kevin personally, he was an absolute stand-up great guy, always cracking jokes with everybody,” Hubbard said Monday. “Even when he had bad times, he hardly ever showed it. He was always smiling and laughing and always put you in a better mood.”
Hubbard said Farmington officers lined up along I-49 as Apple’s body was taken to the Little Rock crime lab on Sunday. One officer stayed with the procession on the trip to Little Rock.
Hubbard said it’s getting harder and harder to recruit people to apply for jobs in law enforcement because of the attitude toward police officers.
“We’re out here doing a job, trying to protect the public, and it just seems like no one has any love lost. You hear about an officer being killed, and they could care less.”
The ideology drilled in people’s heads, many times, he said, is that law enforcement is the “bad guy.”
He said, “I’m doing my job, and that’s all there is to it.”
Lynn Kutter may be reached by email at [email protected]
