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

Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Tommy Robinson of Arkansas has died at age 82. A county coroner said Robinson died Wednesday night at a hospital after a brief illness. Robison served three terms in the U.S. House representing Arkansas’ 2nd District. He gained national attention from his time as Pulaski County sheriff for his tactics that included chaining inmates outside a state prison to protest overcrowding. Robinson was elected to Congress as a Democrat but switched parties and became a Republican in 1989. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders remembers Robinson as someone never afraid of a fight.