A row between two aldermen highlights the board’s recent division over its decision to forward investigatory materials from an incident involving a former Starkville Police Department officer to the district attorney’s office for criminal review.
After aldermen spent almost an hour in executive session Tuesday reviewing a February incident in which former Officer William Thrasher’s patrol car allegedly struck a pedestrian, the board split down racial lines in voting 3-2 to transfer the potential case to Scott Colom’s office.
Thrasher does not currently face any criminal charges, but the officer resigned his post on March 6.
On Friday, Ward 3 Alderman David Little called move a gross overreach of government after saying SPD Chief Frank Nichols, not the governing body, should be the sole determining factor in the potential case’s progress.
His comments suggested Nichols might not have recommended sending the case to Colom, but both men declined to comment on executive session matters.
Two days later, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins, who supported Tuesday’s executive session action, fired back at Little and demanded the first-term alderman provide proof of his allegation.
“I am not aware of any statements, comments, proof or evidence that supports Alderman Little’s unfounded allegation that the board is overreaching. There is no evidence that serves as proof that the chief of police does not want this matter in the hands of the district attorney,” Perkins said. “Anybody can make an allegation.”
Again skirting the edge of discussing specifics from Tuesday’s executive session discussions, Little said Nichols has “never asked for (the board’s) blessing to take something to the DA’s office.”
“The chief doesn’t need our permission to move forward like that, and this action puts us in uncharted waters. We need to stick to being a legislative body. If we (approved the Thrasher incident for criminal review), what’s going to stop them from asking for that with others?” Little asked. “I would love for Perkins to show us something in the past, to show us something where a previous board has asked to bring up a case like this.”
Many details about the incident — including who was injured and where and when the incident occurred — are unknown at this point.
According to multiple sources on background, however, it is believed the police cruiser Thrasher was driving while patrolling struck a pedestrian from behind in either Ward 6 or Ward 7, on or about Feb. 21 or 22.
Last week, City Attorney Chris Latimer denied Freedom of Information Act requested filed by The Dispatch and other media agencies seeking dash camera footage and incident reports.
State law generally allows protections for records that could deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or impede a prosecutor’s ability to prosecute an alleged offense, but Miss. Code Ann. 25-61-12 allows law enforcement agencies to release all or any part of any investigative reports at their discretion.
One source said aldermen viewed the same dash camera footage The Dispatch requested during executive session before the board voted to transfer the findings.
Discrepancies, the source said, could exist between information provided in police reports accounting the incident and what the video shows, but The Dispatch cannot verify the claim without access to the appropriate information.
The Dispatch also sought to have Thrasher’s personnel file released, but that request was also denied on the grounds personnel information and police officers’ personal information can be shielded from public purview.
Latimer confirmed elements of what The Dispatch requested were forwarded to Colom’s office last week, but clarified Sunday that the only portion of Thrasher’s personnel file included in the transfer was the internal investigative file pertinent to the incident.
Tuesday’s 3-2 vote was split along racial lines, as the city’s three African-American aldermen — Ward 2’s Lisa Wynn, Ward 7’s Henry Vaughn and Perkins — supported the motion and were opposed by Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver and Little, two of the board’s four white representatives.
Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker and Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard, both of whom are white, were absent from the meeting.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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