Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner’s city phone has been disconnected.
Turner told The Dispatch that service to his phone stopped Monday morning. He said he got a letter from Mayor Robert Smith on Tuesday saying his phone was turned off due to abuse of city property.
“This is to inform you that due to numerous complaints we have received from citizens about your Facebook posts, the most recent to occur this past weekend, I have suspended your phone services (for) abuse of city property,” the letter said, according to Turner. “You may address this issue with the council at the next meeting if you so desire.”
Turner made a number of posts on his personal Facebook account Saturday, including one calling Mississippi House District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem a “b***h.”
Turner made threatening remarks toward unidentified people in several other posts. In one, he said “Come and kill me you cowards I’ll kill you back,” and in another, “I think you are scared because I will kill you first. Never threat my life I have family to live for. I promise I will kill you.”
On Monday, Turner said the posts were in response to death threats, which he claims are the result of a conspiracy from Lowndes County District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks and Karriem.
Turner said he did not receive warning prior to his phone’s service termination.
“They don’t respect me enough to call me,” Turner said. “I think it is very disrespectful to Ward 4 and the citizens of Ward 4 that no one contacted me.”
Tuner said he normally uses his computer to post to Facebook, though he will use his phone to send Facebook messages.
Smith, in a press release issued Tuesday afternoon said he ordered Turner’s phone be deactivated because of the councilman’s threatening posts.
“I am deeply concerned over the social media posts from Councilman Turner,” Smith said. “Death threats are serious matters, whether they are being made to or from Councilman Turner.
“Councilman Turner used the city-owned phone for the data to publish these posts,” Smith added. “Because of that, I am obligated as mayor not to allow the city to fund such activity. That is why I had the service turned off Monday morning.”
Smith said he’s willing to reactivate Turner’s phone, if the councilman can prove he didn’t use it to make his Facebook posts.
“If Councilman Turner is not using his city phone and data for these posts, he can turn the phone into our crime lab and they can determine the truth,” Smith said. “They can determine if the phone was used for these posts or not. If the phone is clear, I will have it turned on the same day.”
The city council reprimanded Turner in October for profane Facebook messages, including one where he called Karriem, who is the former Ward 5 councilman, a “b***h boy.”
Smith ejected Turner from a city council meeting for disruptive behavior in late April.
Tuner maintained he did no wrong on Tuesday and that the city is suppressing his right to free speech.
“My First Amendment rights are being stepped on and trampled on,” he said. “I just hope that no one else has to go through what I’m going through right now. If they treat me like this, they probably treat a whole lot of other people like this.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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