Former U.S. Rep. Tommy Robinson, who gained notoriety as an Arkansas sheriff, dies at 82

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Tommy Robinson, who gained notoriety as an Arkansas sheriff for tactics that included chaining inmates outside a state prison to protest overcrowding, has died. He was 82.

Robinson died at a Forrest City hospital Wednesday night of natural causes after a brief illness, St. Francis County Coroner Miles Kimble said.

“Tommy’s career was colorful, but it was colorful in service of the people of Arkansas,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. “He brought much-needed attention to issues like crime and prison overcrowding, and while his methods were sometimes unconventional, they won him admiration from voters to earn a seat in Congress. He was never afraid of a fight.”

Robinson was first elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House in 1984, representing the 2nd District, covering Little Rock and central Arkansas. He switched parties and became a Republican in 1989 before losing the GOP primary for governor the following year.

But it was Robinson’s actions and comments during his years as Pulaski County sheriff that gained him national attention. Robinson was elected to the post in 1980 after serving as state director of public safety.

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