A third suspect has been arrested for his alleged role in a beating that left a man in a coma after he was found laying in a West Point parking lot in August.
Investigators with the West Point Police Department took 21-year-old Constance Levail McFarland, of Aberdeen, into custody Wednesday morning. He has been charged with aggravated assault and transported to the Clay County Detention Center, according to a media release.
In late August, Ralph Weems IV, 32, was severely injured in the parking lot of Huddle House in West Point.
In the days following the fight, 22-year-old Courtez McMillian, of Okolona, and 20-year-old Marquavious McMillian, of Aberdeen, were also arrested for their alleged roles. They also are facing aggravated assault charges and received $250,000 bonds, according to authorities.
The case drew national attention for its racial undertones after a witness said Weems was beaten because he was white. The three men arrested in the case are black. Police Chief Tim Brinkley has said evidence does not support claims that the incident was racially motivated.
In a previous interview with The Dispatch, Brinkley said the case against Courtez McMillian and Marquavious McMillian would be presented to a grand jury in October. He said at the time that only a grand jury could elevate the incident to a hate crime. Brinkley did not respond to an email Wednesday asking him about grand jury findings.
In today’s release he stated that the investigation, which has included assistance from the FBI and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, continues.
“We knew from the beginning that this was a very complex case,” Brinkley said. “We are making arrests as the investigation continues and leads develops.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Golden Triangle CrimeStoppers are 800-530-7151 or the West Point Police Department at 662-494-1244.
Dispatch reported Sarah Fowler contributed to this report.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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